John Carter of Remnant
by ThePhantomScribe
Summary: After a Netflix binge of The Flash and watching John Carter on the same night, the idea popped into my head. With the story of one and the results of the other, a normal guy gets thrown into a not-so-normal world with not-so-normal side-effects. Just a walk in the park... right? NOPE. More like hell in his quest back to Earth. First SI fic!
1. Death Note

**_Death Note_**

* * *

><p>Let's see, where to begin.<p>

I'm a 22 year old engineer in the city of San Francisco, and I've spent the last four years pining away in Stanford to become one. Am I a smart guy? I don't really think so, but people seem to go out of their way to tell me otherwise. I like math, physics, and just about any fandom containing the words Sherlock, Marvel, or Star Wars. Naturally, this concoction of diversions create an affinity for design of some sort, which is why I'm in this field of work.

And I'm hard-pressed to say that what got me into this level III engineering position at the new Moscone Center Particle Accelerator wasn't exactly my smarts as much as my talk. It's a shameful pride, but I'm much happier to say that I can talk myself into and out of just about any situation more than to say I have a 4.2 GPA average to date.

Wait. Nah, this ain't a biography. Terrible way to start my story. Let's see, where should I _really_ start... ah, how about the day I died? Hm, fair enough.

It's January 14, the year of 20-_something_, when the final stages of the main reactor are finally locked in place. Media people surround the building and the clock is ticking down to the launch of the first self-sustaining power-source the world has ever seen, meant to make the infrastructure of my home-town in the Bay Area virtually pollutant free in a matter of minutes.

And more than anyone, my boss, the lead engineer and architect of this marvel of science, is on his toes like never before. Doctor Harrison G. Wells. Aaand he's glaring at me.

"Have you checked the readings on the subatomic layouts along Delta Sector?"

I chuckle nervously, "Um... Heh, about that..."

His glare intensifies.

I merely deadpan at him, followed by a small smirk, "Of _course_, readings are normal along subsectors A through T, though I did find a muon anomaly in Sigma Sector."

Muons. Nifty little suckers. The stuff of comic books to be honest; that is, up until a few years ago. They changed _everything_ - new metals, new weapons, new technology, all now possible thanks to this tiny little particle.

And I was in the perfect place to learn about them, the first generation of students to be exposed to this tantalizing knowledge! I could already imagine metals like vibranium and adamantium finally being forged, beam weapons and repulsor cannons finally becoming reality, and all the medical and physical applications these beneficial particles could have in the human body.

"And...?" The spectacled man prods, interrupting my train of thought.

"I took _care_ of it," I scoff.

"Well check again, we wouldn't want anything going _Boom_ on opening day, would we Savvy?" he mentions with an amused chuckle.

I shrug nonchalantly, "I suppose not."

Savvy, a nickname which has stuck to me since childhood. Or evolved, I should say. In first grade, coming up with user names in some lame learn-to-type program was a real pain since my real name was so darn _common_, a problem which had led to the creation of my nickname, SavageDandelion.

This nickname had stuck with me till freshman year, where my natural ability for most forms of archery - and contact sports like American football - had led to my being dubbed Savage.

Of course, all that changed when I was picked out of a pool of high-scoring SAT students into this brand new state-of-the-art engineering program at Stanford where I found yet another new iteration for my name, Savvy, which has stuck with me to this day.

Anyway, finally having sprinted my way down several flights of stairs and railways without losing much breath - despite my somewhat sedentary occupation, I still like to stay in shape - I'm now looking at a whole panel of LED screen layouts that completely bare out to me the whole story and workings of this amazing machine in all its glory. Every subatomic particle known to man closely monitored and calculated so the mix is just right.

Alpha Sector.

"This guy's a real Tony Stark, I'll say..." I mumble to myself about my brain of a boss before finishing my pre-launch checklist and turning away satisfied.

_Beep_.

At the sudden muted sound, I freeze in my tracks and strain my ears inside the room beside the giant donut-shaped tube that practically circles the entire city.

_Beep_.

That is not good. I quickly turn and scan the screens until finding the one in question, the little red light above it blinking as I watch a small spike in the readings growing larger every second. The muon count.

_Beep_.

"That is _not_ good!" I exclaim before sprinting out of the room and toward Sigma Sector, at least a quarter mile away from my current station.

Two minutes or so later, I enter the Sigma Sector Station to find that Doctor Wells is already inside with a drove of men in labcoats murmuring over the plentiful screens around him. He turns to see me with a worried look on his face, his burly handheld tablet quickly filling with hundreds of lines of data.

"Solar flare, Savvy. We're not sure how, but it's spiking the muon count for some reason. And even though the particle accelerator is sealed, the outside count has tricked the machine into starting the launch sequence!"

"But we haven't run all the safety checks and hull procedures!" I cry out in worry.

"Yes, which is why _these_ fine men are here," the doctor replies, "though we don't have much time. As long as they can stop the sequence from here, we should be fine."

But scientific instinct tells me it might not be that simple. I beckon for his tablet, to which he complies and lets me read the mountain of data he's wirelessly downloading from the same room. Mentally comparing it to what I saw in Alpha Sector, it takes me about a minute to realize that about two dozen men in labcoats are dead wrong.

"The launch won't start here," I conclude decisively.

"Are you serious?" Doctor Wells asks in disbelief.

"I am telling you right now. The root of the problem isn't _here_. It's in Omega Sector."

My boss takes a good long look at me before putting a hand on my shoulder.

"Savvy, you're one of my most promising engineers. Your capacity to memorize data astounds me to this day, along with your analytical abilities. Not to mention that silver tongue of yours," he adds with a chuckle, and then a slow sigh, "So if you're saying that this crap will hit the fan in Omega Sector, then we're going. _Together_. I'll let the boys tidy up in here."

I grin as I ready my body for another long sprint, "Just try to keep up, old man."

Amazingly enough, he does. We catch our breath outside the Omega Station before stepping in, only to have the air knocked out of us again as we look through the large window panels of the station into the Particle Accelerator itself.

"God I hate being right."

The entire area inside the tube is glowing red, already far along in its pre-launch sequence, and like two drones at work, Doctor Wells and I get to the panels to reverse the process.

But we don't have much time. I thought I'd have a full twenty four hours of it today, but if we can't stop this, looks like we'll all only get a few more minutes. And for the strangest reason, as I go auto-pilot on these machines I know so well, I recall a singular memory in my first physics class about the subject.

_"Time," my first physics professor ever said, "the only immutable constant. Which is why it is what invariably makes the universe TICK. Sure, it can be skewed, maybe even warped. But it is only in relativity. Time itself never changes-"_

_"Unless you move fast enough."_

_The peeved man whose lecture has just been interrupted snaps his head at the rude student in the classroom. Me._

_"Oho, and how do you suppose one can do that, young man?"_

_All attention now centered on me, I shrug it off with my reply, "Easy. Energy. Supply an object with enough energy - in this case, thrust - and a person may be granted the ability to travel along different measures of time. Maybe even backwards."_

_"Oooh, quite the Einstein today, are we?" The Professor retorts sarcastically, earning a few chuckles from the other students, "But there's just one problem: to grant an object such speed and energy, the force must be applied kinetically. A little concept the science world likes to call MOMENTUM. And seeing that momentum refers only to subjects with MASS and the energy to travel through time - as you've so eloquently postulated - involves speeds rivaling those of LIGHT, then I'm afraid to say that the energy necessary to accomplish such a preposterous feat would have to be nearly INFINITE."_

_As a moment of saturated silence stifles the room, he then turns his hardened gaze away from me and is about to continue his lecture when I interrupt him again. C'mon, I can't help myself!_

_"You wanna know what people's problem is? They always think in terms of size. Mass. But what if instead of using particles for 'thrust', we use them as catalysts - letting the mass-less particles bombard us AT the speed of light, imbuing our very SELVES with enough energy to transcend the barriers of time!"_

_My professor scoffs, "Rather philosophical today... you do realize you're in the wrong class, sir. Yes? But to argue such a point would mean that the fabric of time and space itself could be bypassed, permitting such fictional notions as teleportation, time travel, and entry into alternate dimensions, maybe even alternate universes!"_

_Having slowly made his way all around the class during his god-awful monologue, he finally pauses at my desk right in front of me, nearly slamming his two hands down at either end of my desk and looming over me._

_"And the only problem with THAT idea, is that such a particle does not exist. Not one that wouldn't kill you with radiation poisoning, at least. So I'll tell you what, SAVAGE, how about you bring this up to me again the day you've actually DISCOVERED it!? Otherwise," he now calms down as he gets off my desk and proceeds to the whiteboard in front of everyone, "you can face an entire month of detention for disrupting my class."_

_I exhale upwards sharply to get a lock of my hair out of my eyes._

"Savvy? ...Savvy!" My thoughts are interrupted once again by Doctor Wells, who motions at the large screen between us.

Good news is, we've at least managed to control the launch. Yeah, it'll be a few hours early, but I'm sure the people of San Francisco can forgive us.

Bad news is...

"The launch is imminent, and we have a problem. A main hydraulic valve in this sector hasn't been closed yet, and if we can't close it before launch, it'll cause a catastrophic meltdown in the main reactor! The entire _city_ will be laid to waste!"

"Where is it?" I ask flatly.

"Inside the main accelerator chamber; but Savvy, we've less than two minutes! I'll go and-"

"_No_." I keep him from turning and walking towards the double blast doors leading into the particle accelerator with my hand on his shoulder, "I'll go. It's a one-way command to open them during the launch sequence and they won't open again until everything is sealed, including that valve. And frankly, Doctor, you're of more use out here than in there. Just make sure everyone can get to safety before this thing launches - it'll pack a heck of a punch!"

And without another word, I sprint into the one of the open blast doors and shut it behind me before the Doctor can react. In the cramped room are two radiation suits. Well, no time for that. I punch in my code, bypass the prompt about it not being able to open again until the hydraulic valve is shut blah blah blah...

And I'm in. And _jeez_ it's hot in here!

It sounds like I have my ear right next to a hundred jet engines at the same time! But looking for my target, I find the Valve Control Access in a box in the middle of a bridge connecting both sides of the tube.

Oh, and did I mention that the tube itself is about as wide as a large building? Yea, I'm about to sprint a few hundred yards over a tiny metal bridge over several stories of _nothing_.

Not that I'm afraid of heights. I'm already at the Access Panel in less than a minute. Wells' voice blares out over the intercom, the Doctor looming over a lone mic in the Station Room.

_'You'll need to enter Access Code Tango-Victor-Whiskey-One-Five-Niner to shut the valve.'_

"Got it!"

_'Follow the prompts...'_

I click trough the list of valves and make sure I select the main hydraulic valve before hitting CLOSE.

"Done!"

And with some metallic whirring underneath me, my heart jumps in realizing that a major crisis has just been averted. I turn to the Doctor with a celebratory fist-pump.

"Woot! And the day is saved!"

_BOOOM!_

Oh no. The launch! I'm about to make my way back to the door when I realize the blast locks are still in place! I turn again toward my boss and see him frantically dashing back and forth among the panels trying to find a way to get the doors to open once more. By the look on his face, I can already tell I was too late.

I'm about to die.

Oh my god, I'm about to die!

_'S-Savvy...' _the broken voice on the intercom begins,_ 'I-I've tried all I could. The locks are jammed... David, I'm so sorry...'_

_WHOOSH!_

The intercom shorts out when the first wave of particles hits me like a heat-wave_. _Invisible, and with no real effect on me, but I already know I'm doomed. I don't know why, but I lock my gaze with Doctor Wells'; I dunno, I guess it's like that when you know death is just around the corner... you focus on any human connection you have left around you and hold onto it.

But I've already made peace with my family. My friends.

I love you guys. I hope you can forgive me for the stupid things I've done and how annoying I could be or all those times I shot you guys between the armor with BB guns during our Saturday gunfight skirmishes. And-

_WHOOSH!_

My thoughts are interrupted when the second wave hits, AND IT HURTS MORE THAN ANYTHING I COULD POSSIBLY DESCRIBE! The agony is _excruciating_, and I almost fall to my knees as I cry out. But I remain standing, propping myself against that stupid access box.

I look down at my hand and expect to see third degree burns and stuff. Nope. _Half the friggin thing is burnt off! _The rest is glowing orange as I see more and more of it coming apart... I shudder to think what the rest of me looks like, and judging by Doctor Wells' wide-eyed expression, it's probably not very pretty.

Heh, I probably look like that dude in the Riddick movie that gets jacked up by the heat blasts of Crematoria. Shut up, man! This isn't the time for humor!

_WHOOOOOSH!_

I hear the final wave coming before I turn to see it with my only good eye left, a now visible wall of blinding light as a final quote passes through my mind from one of my favorite works of Charles Dickens. Yes, I'm about to die, but I've saved millions with my final act.

"It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to, than I have ever known."

And then everything goes white.

* * *

><p>And then everything went red.<p>

Red? That's weird. I would've thought black. Midnight blue, maybe?

Oh, crap.

Am I in hell? You gotta be kidding me, so there's a Hell after all!? Aw c'mon, I never even cussed while I was alive, this isn't even _fair!_

And just as I would've done had I been alive, I throw my arms up in frustration. So... You can imagine my surprise when both my arms _are_ thrown up in frustration, the sea of red around me thrown up as well in the air like a pile of...

Leaves?

Oh. I'm lying down in a bed of leaves? Hm, I guess Hell isn't that bad. I slowly get up and analyze my surroundings. I'm in a forest. Full of trees with blood-red leaves.

"Well, _that's_ something you don't see everyday." I laugh, not at my obvious observation, but at the fact that wherever this is, I at least have my voice!

Laughter of joy that continues as I see my hands intact and feel my face is as complete as it ever was.

"I LOVE THIS PLACE!" I exclaim, thrusting both arms up towards the heavens and happy to be alive. Or dead. Jeez, that's kind of a complicated subject. But then I look down at myself.

"...aaand I'm naked."

And I mean, _butt-naked!_

Not that I'm uncomfortable with myself. I take good care of myself and am pretty proud of everything about me! But... the idea of exhibitionism in Hell is kiiinda worrisome.

But then the sound of something large ambling through the woods in my vicinity causes me to crouch down instinctively. The steps are slow... heavy... too much so to be human. I wait to make my first acquaintance in Hell.

And once it appears through the canopy and sees me with its blood-red eyes, I decide that I'm pretty sure I've been sent to Hell after all.

_RAWWWR!_

A huge bear-like creature with an exposed skull charges me in the clearing. I should've known... Bears are attracted to sweets and sounds, and unless my reconstructed body is made from honey, this thing's here because my stupid self made too much noise!

I dodge the beast's pounce by somersaulting to my side on the ground, rolling around and ducking under two more paw-swipes from the thing before it stands back from me, seemingly winded. Seriously? C'mon, Hell.

"Jeez, buddy," I begin with a chuckle, "you couldn't hit the broad side of a-"

_CRASH!_

Suddenly, another one of those hellish bears ambushes me from the tree line, landing a solid paw-strike with long sharp claws that dig into me across my chest with an impact that sends me flying back dozens of feet into a tree with a loud _crack_.

I can immediately tell that the second bear is much worse than the first. Considerably larger and donning the same exposed skull with red eyes, it also sports a host of bony spikes on its back and along its forearms. Satan, you _definitely_ outdid yourself with that one!

I get up and feel behind my back to survey the damage... but my skin isn't even broken! I risk a quick glance behind me and realize that the tree I hit has pretty much been reduced to wood chippings.

"What in the world are these trees made from, _styrofoam!?_" I cry out in surprise before I turn to see the smaller bear charging at me.

So, I read one time that when facing a bear, you don't run. _Never_ run. Stand your ground, yell, scream, look big, and throw stuff at it or something. Advice that I currently take as I quickly bend down and pick up a fist-sized stone beside me.

"YAH! YAH! GET OUTTA HERE, SMOKEY! YAH, SMOKEY!" I scream at the top of my lungs as I wave my arms around madly, hoping to get it to turn away before reverting to my last resort. But it doesn't. So I ready my stone.

"I said... _SCRAM!_" I chuck the stone as hard as I can like a grade A pigskin - a football - and can only stare in shock as the stone then leaves my hand with the sonic blast of a friggin' cannon and goes _straight through the bear's head._

The larger bear merely stares at the growing gurgling mess in the middle of the clearing when I finally regain my senses and begin shouting at the larger bear too.

"THAT'S _RIGHT!_ YOU WANT SOME? YOU WANT SOME OF THIS!?"

But seeming to have lost all interest in me, the spiky bear lifts its nose up to the air, sniffing around for a moment and then following the scent right out of the clearing.

"Wha-" I begin to talk but fall to my knees light-headed. Was I shouting too much? Maybe... heh, I can feel my heart racing within my- wait a minute.

How can I have a heartbeat if I'm dead? I place a hand to my chest and bring it back up, only to see it covered in blood. _My_ blood. I'm... I'm _alive?_

"Where in the hell am I!?" I cry out.

Mind you, I'm not cursing. I'm actually _in_ Hell... I think.

I look back up to see the smaller bear has nearly disintegrated in a puff of smoke, leaving behind a black tattered sash of some type behind. Maybe from a previous meal a long time ago? Well, I sure as heck need _something_ to cover my junk, and I'm not about to get picky!

I get up and barely take a step towards the center of the clearing when I suddenly feel the ground leave me completely... wait, I'm _leaping! _Having overshot the sash by several dozen yards at my landing spot, I look down and test my legs, flexing them and doing a few crouching motions. They feel fine... nothing out of the ordinary.

I prepare to lift my leg to take another step back towards the sash, "Easy does IIIIIIT!"

Needless to say, I accidentally leap through the air once more like a stinkin astronaut, overshooting my goal yet _again_.

"Oh, _c'mon_ legs!" I shout in self-derision.

The process literally repeats itself five of six more times with growing levels of frustration until I'm finally reduced to carefully... CAREFULLY... dragging my feet across the leaf-strewn ground towards the sash. Finally taking a step forward to reach it, I underestimate my strength and overstep, tripping forward and landing face first on the ground next to the sash.

"_OW_..."

Clearly, the gravity in this place must be significantly weaker than that of Earth's.

I stand very slowly and finally grab the sash on the floor, quickly wrapping it around my nether regions and tying the knot. Heh, I guess watching all those Man vs. Wild episodes finally paid off! Who knew that one day I'd actually _have_ to make myself a decent loincloth! It works well enough; like a thin diaper with the remainder of the ends hanging in front of my junk and behind my rear like fabric flaps, it fits snugly around my waist without hampering my movement. Sweet.

"Now to learn how to walk. Like a baby. Ugh."

Ten minutes or so later, I've finally mastered it. I walk naturally enough while taking the terms 'staying light on your toes' to a whole new level, and am finally ready to get a better idea on where I am. And following that big bear just might be a good start.

If it stopped paying attention to me, it must've been smelling easy food. Maybe a common area that can give me a better gauge as to where I'm at?

I sit while making my calculations. And talking to myself. Cuz I do that while doing math.

"Assuming it maintained its speed with which it left of about five feet per second which was about a half hour ago... That puts it at a little less than two miles in that direction," I conclude, glancing at the hole in the canopy where it left.

Now to see how fast I can catch up to it. Crouching down in runner's position, I begin a brisk sprint in that direction before taking off clear over the treeline.

"WOOOOOHOOOOO!" I yell as I feel the air rushing through my face, landing somewhere in the forest and taking off again with a single step.

"YEAHHH! I'M LIKE THE HULK!" Yep. I can get used to this!

Finally landing on a taller tree, I gauge my distance travelled.

"Half mile in under a minute! That's a quarter mile with just a step! So let's see..." I think to myself as I plug in the new variables in my mental kinematic equation, "Yep, so about a fifth of the gravity of Earth! Hm... Does that make me five times stronger as well?"

I put that thought on the backburner as I realize that about six more steps should get me to the bear. And leaping down, I continue my exhilarating trek.

* * *

><p>About three minutes later, I land in an artificial clearing in the forest full of jars of varying sizes; some empty, and some full of a viscous red substance. Sap? I also note the tracks and claw marks on the trees. Very fresh.<p>

"Thank you, Man versus Wild..."

It doesn't take much more tracking to hear some sort of skirmish that suddenly takes place on the other side of some dense red shrubbery with roaring of the huge bear and... Yells! Human yells!

But just as suddenly as it started, it stops. The silence sends a chill down my spine, and I finally dare to try and peek through the canopy to see the outcome of the fight.

_CLUNK_.

"Holy fu-!" I quickly cover my own mouth as the bony bear's _head_ suddenly drops in front of me and rolls to my feet, nearly scaring the friggin' PISS outta me!

Extremely surprised, I peek through the canopy that much faster to see who could've delivered such a lethal clean cut to a creature of that size. I then see two young men, each clad in armor.

At first, I think it's the red-head that did him in, cuz that blonde guy standing next to him? ...sheesh, someone give the kid a sandwich. But as I look closely, I have to change my impression as I notice that the blonde is the one with the sword and is also helping up his peer. I catch the conversation that the red-head starts.

"Holy crap, Jaune!" Jaune? That's a weird name.

But the blonde doesn't look nearly as impressed as his associate - threatening, even, "Don't ever mess with my team - my _friends_ - ever again. Got it?"

Hm, I must've missed something. The red-head looks intimidated, possibly even apologetic. But with his order spoken, Jaune turns and walks away from the kid... right towards me!

I step back into the shrubbery and let this guy pass right by me without noticing. I debate whether or not I should make myself seen by him - after all, he does look pretty pissed - but he might be my only hope at reaching civilization. And apparently, he can handle himself. I make my decision.

Stepping out from the tree line before the blonde can get too far away from me, I hold a hand to my mouth politely.

"_Ahem!_"

"AAAIIIiii!" The guy shrieks femininely as he turns to me, weapons drawn as he fumbles with his shield until gripping it right. Well, _that_ was unexpected.

"Sorry to startle you."

Quickly regaining his composure, and whatever was left of his dignity, the blonde sighs but keeps his weapons drawn.

"I-It's alright. I just thought you were one of _them_."

"_Them?_"

"You know," he explains, glancing pointedly at the disintegrating head by my foot, "One of the Grimm."

Ah. So that's what the kids call them these days.

"Right. Anyway, I was hoping if you could get me to some kind of village, or city? Any kind of civilization, really. I have no idea where I am."

Jaune narrows his eyes at me, and I catch a flicker of whatever warrior must've come through when defeating that Grimm. He exuded an aura of power that kept me on my toes.

"And why should I trust you?"

I should've seen that question coming, though I didn't really think it'd be from some guy that looked like an eighth-century knight. But he's still a kid, so I go with the obvious as I hold both hands up placatingly.

"I'm unarmed, I have no supplies, nor food, water, or clothing. And did I mention no clothing? This seems like a really dangerous place and I have no idea how I got here, and I doubt I'll last too much longer. I'm just asking for help."

"But you can also be _lying_."

Alright, I'm calling out his bravado, it's a bit much, "Oh really. Wanna check my loincloth, then?"

Bingo. Receiving the reaction I'm looking for, the blonde staggers, holding up an arm-guard to his now-green face to keep from blowing chunks all over the place.

"GERK! You know what? Never mind, I'll take you to Miss Goodwitch..."

"Thank you."

But 'Miss Goodwitch'? What is this guy, a student or something? Oh well, either way, she seems like someone of authority. I just hope that if this is Hell, Lucifer isn't a female that goes by Goodwitch.

"By the way, what's your name?" He asks me after a minute or two of us walking through the woods.

I debate with whether or not I should tell him. But if I'm in hell, wouldn't everyone know who I am to begin with already? It just seems kinda pointless to go through introductions in a place of torment. So I think of a test - a white lie, to see if he'll catch it. So, thinking of a name of a man who awoke in a strange place filled with strange creatures and a strange strength, I answer with as much conviction as I'll ever muster.

"Carter. John Carter."

"Well, John Carter," the blonde knight begins as he pulls aside some shrubs beside our path to reveal a majestic building of arching architecture over a spectacular cliff, "Welcome to Beacon, the finest academy in Remnant."

Remnant? Not sure what that means, but it seems fitting. Without my family, my friends, and the life I knew, I know everything's about to change.

Enter John Carter of Remnant.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Well, that was a thing.**

**It's a self insert, yep, and the only things about me that aren't true is where I went to college and where I currently work. Let's just say, it's not in California. But, San Francisco is my hometown, so it felt like a fitting setting! Also, the coverart is me, wearing my brother's glasses. Though my hair is a bit curlier and usually messier. ****Anyway, I hope you liked the fic!**

**Review if you'd like, fave and follow if you want more. Reviews help me improve and the counters help me gauge which of my stories people are liking more at the moment. Right now I have fics like _Jaune Arc: The Force Unleashed_, _RWBY: Switched!_ and _Chronicle_ in the works, so feel free to check those out if you'd like as well!**

**In any case, till next time!**

**And Happy Reading!**


	2. Coming to Terms

**_Coming to Terms_**

* * *

><p>I tense up a little more as I feel twelve stares from three groups of four kids each burning into me from all directions, so I wrap myself a little tighter in my temporary red cloak.<p>

Oh, wait.

"This is awkward."

"Tell me about it..." The young - and now cloak-less - little girl beside me agrees as we sit in the passenger section of a large airship soaring through the skies. As opposed to everyone else, she has to be at least a year or two younger than the average age in this cabin.

She was nice enough to lend me her cloak as a covering when I was brought to Goodwitch, though it was more of a reflex to get me to cover up. A gesture I appreciated, considering the shameless stares I was getting from some of the girls I could only assume were Juniors judging by their age. Maybe Seniors. 17-18ish... Yeah.

All I told the platinum blonde lady in spectacles was that I woke up in the forest and fought two bears from hell. When I replied to her question about how I killed the smaller one, she stared at me for a moment and asked if I needed to get back to the city.

A city in Hell? Ugh, better than this forest. Of _course_ I said yes. And here I am now.

"So uh, look," I begin softly to the lady observing me from my other side, "How do I put this... Are we in Hell?"

The surprised look in her eyes as she notices my sincerity gives way to amusement and a brief scoff which she tries to hold back with her air of professionalism... and fails.

"Well, er, that depends on how you look at it, Mister..."

"Carter."

"Mister Carter."

"So... No fire? No eternal torment for unforgivable sins? No unfounded tales of the Underworld?"

The surprised look in her eyes returns, but this time with a more serious glint as she appears to be gauging my current state of mind.

"_No_."

"Oh. Good..." That's a relief, right? "then can you tell me what country we're in?"

A blank stare.

"Uh, continent maybe?"

"Vytal."

Huh. Never heard of it. Well if there's a city and its known, maybe I'll know where in the world I ended up.

"What's the name of the city then?"

"Vale, the economic stronghold and capital of the Kingdom of Vale."

"The _Kingdom_ of Vale?" I echo blankly. This is _not_ helping!

"Yes, the Kingdom of Vale, one of the four Kingdoms of Remnant..." Miss Goodwitch relates with a look of incredulity in her gaze, "Mister Carter, are you sure you're alright?"

I balk at her inference to my mental state. If anyone's a few cents short of a dollar right now, it's gotta be _her! Kingdoms?_ We back in the Dark Ages or something!? But the name does ring a bell...

"Remnant, Remnant..." I mumble softly to myself before recalling my conversation with Jaune with joy, "Ah! I've heard of that name before! Remnant! What is it?"

My smile at the lady quickly fades under the fierce gaze she gives me, "Our _planet_."

I deadpan and slowly turn my gaze forward, letting my head fall into my hands in bewilderment. It all comes together at once - strange landscape, different gravity, alien creatures...

I'm on another planet. Oh man, I'm on another _planet_.

* * *

><p>Several minutes later, we reach our destination: the large, arching building that Jaune had shown me earlier.<p>

No sooner do I get down, however, when Miss Goodwitch holds me back with an arm to my shoulder. And I'll tell you, that woman is stronger than she looks.

"Mister Carter, I'd like to have you checked to make sure you haven't sustained any major injuries while stranded in Forever Fall..." she begins informatively.

She may be glancing at the claw marks across my chest, but I know she's actually trying to see if she can test my _mental_ state as well. I mean... I _do_ look like a caveman right now.

And noticing my hesitation, she adds, "I assure you, our facilities at Beacon are of utmost quality and possibly the best Vale can offer you at this point. I believe we also may have a clothing donation bin you may go through if need be."

Oh. She had me at _clothes_.

"Alright. I'll consent."

"Thank you, come this way, Mister Carter," the lady then motions to the remaining students as they watch, "the rest of you may be dismissed for the day."

The kids seem to be pretty happy about that, and with a final wave to Jaune - who seems to have an _extreme_ aversion to flying, judging by the green tinge still present in his face - I follow Miss Goodwitch into the building. It doesn't take long until we reach a lecture hall of sorts and come face to face with a spectacled man in disheveled attire and forest-green hair. I have to hold back a chuckle at the sight.

I mean, I saw some guys in the airship with blue or light-green hair, but that's expected. Kids are idiots. But _this_ guy? I mean, Miss Goodwitch just called him 'Doctor' for crying out loud! But taking him to another end of the classroom, they speak for a minute before the man's equally green eyebrows shoot up over his glasses.

"Ah A stranded young man in Forever Fall Dreadful Absolutely dreadful I must meet him Where is he Oh he is here you say That is absolutely marvelous Oh there he is Hello young man very nice to meet you and a thousand condolences for your troubles my name is Oobleck Bartholomew Oobleck!"

As if the hair weren't enough, the entire slew of words with which I'm consequently barraged with at a million miles per hour is _definitely_ enough to throw me off. But then to my utter surprise, he dashes over to me with impossible speed and shakes my hand energetically.

I can literally only babble at the man who just revealed that he has superpowers without a second's hesitation.

"I-I-I uh um uh... O-Oobleck? Uh..." I finally regain enough composure to ask a coherent question without any restraint to my evident awe, "Are you The Flash? C-Can I have your autograph!?"

He only stares at me for a second, forgetting to let go of my hand as Miss Goodwitch walks up from behind him to join us.

"That's what I'm talking about..." She mentions casually, to which he gives a long 'Hmm' and lets go of my hand.

And with just five words, that lady has made me feel like I'm the dumbest person in this building. I decide to keep my mouth shut for the rest of my time here... there _has_ to be a perfectly reasonable explanation for what this man can do!

"Well then Mister Carter even though I am primarily a history major I have had rigorous training in the medical and scientific fields of anatomy and chemistry Therefore now I'm going to run a few tests if you don't mind So if you will Please hold still for just a moment and..."

By the time I've even registered what he was saying, my cloak has been whisked away and I'm surrounded with several streaks of green as this speedy Professor rushes between me and his desk several times, poking and prodding me with all sorts of instruments until finally screeching to a halt in front of Miss Goodwitch.

"A moment in private if you will join me Glynda and if you will please call Ozpin to come down as well. Now."

Speeding into a back office, Miss Goodwitch only looks at his wake with a mild air of confusion before turning in my direction.

"If you'll give us a moment, Mister Carter. This shouldn't take long."

As she steps in and closes the door behind her, I start getting a bad feeling about coming here. If this is an alien planet... And _I'm_ the alien...

I gulp out loud at the thought of probing and live dissections and am about to turn away to exit the room when a strange glint on the teacher's desk catches my eye. Is that... A _ruby?_

Against my better judgment, I pick up the cloak and wrap it around myself before walking over to the table to investigate. Approaching the table, I see bars of metal and wires of varying compositions littering the desktop along with several electronic devices - rudimentary at best - that are connected to portable power sources.

But what catches my eye, of course, is the abundance of _jewels_ on it! I'm no jeweler, but I'm guessing that there's at least _five_ _hundred grand's_ worth of precious rocks strewn about this guy's desk like stationery from an Office Max! But when I pick up the large ruby and watch it glow in my hands, I quickly realize that it's anything _but_.

"What in the world _are_ you?" I mumble quietly as I slowly sit down at the desk to examine these strange crystals.

* * *

><p>About a half hour or so later, I'm startled at my work when not two, but <em>three<em> people step out of the back room, the addition being a rather youthful-looking man despite his full head of silver hair, spectacles, and walking cane.

It's safe to say, however, that Doctor Oobleck is even _more_ startled to see that I'm about to cut the ruby red crystal with little more than a handheld circle saw.

"OH DEAR MONTY OF THE HEAVENS ABOVE what are you doing young man That is an extremely volatile form of Dust which should be handled with the greatest caution lest it explode and take out our entire side of the building with it!"

I hold out a hand to stop him as I lower the saw and cut the giant ruby in half without any complication, much to all three adults' surprise.

"Relax, Professor. I have it under control," I mention as I motion to the bars of iron heavily wrapped in copper wire and connected to various power sources all around my small workspace surrounding the crystal, "It didn't take long to realize these babies contain a fair amount of iron, which would need to be controlled as I exposed these crystals to heat and air..."

"_Doctor_."

"Right."

Miss Goodwitch looks like she's itching to say something and is about to speak up when the third man stops her by speaking up first.

"Continue."

"And uh..." I lose my train of thought for a moment as I gauge the dynamics of this trio. Something's changed... I think he's their boss. Which would make him the Principal?

"Uh.. Well, as I was saying," I continue while looking through a hanging magnifying glass at the finer cuts of the crystal, "Under closer examination, I realized I was looking at some form of euhedral porphyritic chondrule - a crystallized form of space dust that must've formed in large amounts in the ground when the planet was born - which is a conjecture I now find to be correct, except... wait..."

The three adults lean in a little closer as I hold the crystal in both hands and hold it closer to the glass - making sure to keep it well within the electromagnetic field I've created to stabilize it, though - and definitely seem to be paying attention as I reach a rather... unexpected conclusion.

"Wait... By these markings... It almost looks like these crystals have large amounts of crystallized hydrogen. No wonder they're highly reactive..." I look back up at the adults with a fair measure of disbelief, "I'd say it was impossible because this type of hydrogen simply don't _exist_ in rock formations, but since I'm literally looking at it right now, I'd say this was one of the most advanced forms of high-energy propellant I've ever seen!"

"So you harnessed the Dust with strong electromagnetic forces to stabilize it and impede its subsequent ignition when exposed to friction and air..." Miss Goodwitch muses aloud.

"Excellent observation indeed, young man," the silver-haired man states with a mildly impressed air, taking a sip of what smells like coffee from his mug before he continues, "What did you do before waking up in Fall Forest?"

I pause for a moment, debating how much info I can give, but decide to go with full disclosure since it doesn't matter much anymore, "I was an engineer. Mostly in the fields of Quantum Physics and Particle Acceleration."

"I see... Any other specialty?"

I had no idea what he was getting at, but I went with the first thing that came to mind, "Uhh... I did some Earth Science in college?"

"Earth as in dirt?" Oobleck asks quizzically.

"No... Earth as in the _planet_-" I cut myself off, but too late to cover my mistake as all three adults clearly begin to size me up, "Okay people, I'm getting a vibe somewhere between disbelief and hostility from you guys..."

"No. Not hostility," the man begins coolly, "but because there isn't a single element that you've named that makes any sense, it surely _would've_ been disbelief had it not been for what Bartholomew here has to say... Barty?"

The green-haired man nods quickly before beginning, "After performing a long and scrupulous set of tests on your physical form I found your anatomy to be similar to ours in nearly every way except for two things! One! Your skin muscles and presumably every other organ are significantly more resistant to damage than ours! And two! You have no Aura! None zero zilch nothing zip!"

I blink at the sheer weight of the impossible laced within his words before Miss Goodwitch's voice brings me out of my stupor.

"Is this consistent with your findings in the forest, Mister Carter?"

"Y-Yeah," I reply dumbly, trying to make sense of the situation, "I think it may have to do with the gravity here. It only took a few simple calculations to determine that the gravity here is only about a fifth of that of Earth's..."

"Ah That makes much more sense Much more sense indeed!" Oobleck now exclaims, "His anatomy will have then had to develop greated physical density to resist a stronger field and thus augmenting his relative strength in our planet!"

"So, a fifth of Earth's gravity is like me being relatively _five_ times stronger here?" I ask in contemplation.

"Gravity is a measure of acceleration meaning that any factor between your world and ours in those respects would have to be _squared_."

"W-Wait," I begin, correcting myself, "So you're telling me that I'm _twenty-five _times stronger than I normally should be on this planet!?"

"Yes and that's in terms of what the average person can carry here," Oobleck continues, "Hunters and Huntresses with fully developed auras can usually augment their strength five-fold over any given citizen Sometimes even more depending on their semblance."

"What _can_ the average person carry here?" I ask flatly, ignoring the slew of unfamiliar terms he added at the end.

"Well seeing that you are... eh, uh," he clears his throat, the first hitch in his usually lightning-fast dictation, "_ahem_, very well _conditioned_, I would say it's safe to assume you'd be in a similar tier as some of our stronger citizens Many of whom can lift a small vehicle."

If it were possible, my jaw would probably have dropped to the floor right then.

"So I'm twenty-five times stronger than _that!?_"

Alright. So Huntsmen, or whatever, are five times the strength of ordinary citizens, and _I'm_ five times stronger than _them_. What!?

I then notice as the second man takes another sip of coffee.

"Quite the anomaly, Mister Carter," the silver-haired man now cuts in, "though despite your body's increased density, you still lack the protection of an aura."

I follow where he points his cane to the three large marks across my chest, and I shrug in reply, "Well, at least it's a conversation starter. It seemed to get the ladies' attention over at the forest..."

"Oh?" He replies with an ill-hidden smile before turning to something behind his shoulder, "Well speaking of which, I believe it would be a good idea to come out now... Ladies."

And to my surprise, three young women - among them, the rightful owner of this cloak - pop up from behind one of the long student desks circling Doctor Oobleck's lecture hall with groans of frustration at having been caught before the man clears his throat expectantly.

"_Ahem_... Miss Belladonna."

A fourth girl suddenly emerges from the shadows of another corner in the room before stealthily joining her peers. Like a ninja. Sweeet...

"May I ask why you four were spying on our visitor?" The man asks with a tinge of amusement in his voice.

"Um, uh," the girl in red and black replies mousily, "We were just waiting to get my hood back. Sorry, Headmaster Ozpin..."

"I see," he notes as he turns to look at the red cloak around me, "I believe it would only be fair to have it returned as soon as possible. Glynda, I'd say a visit to the clothing donation bin would be in order for the young man, wouldn't you say?"

"Er, uh, yes," she answers cautiously, purposefully keeping her gaze away from me while I take off the cloak and hand it to the blushing young girl, "But I feel the task would be better suited for Bartholomew, don't you think?"

Aw... and I was just starting to like her. Reminds me of my schoolteachers. The cute ones, hah. Oh well, I guess it isn't meant to be.

"True... well then, Barty-" Ozpin starts to mention but stops short when he turns and sees the Doctor is at his desk, studying the contraptions I made meticulously and mumbling something about 'cutting purified Dust crystals without an aura... incredible...'

He turns back to Miss Goodwitch with a shrug and is surely about to revert the responsibility to her when the little girl cuts in.

"Uh, Professor? W-We can take him. I know the way..."

I'm almost sure I see the blonde girl in the group do a fist-pump out of the corner of my eye before the Headmaster sighs and leans on his cane.

"I suppose you can take your team and help Mister Carter here find his way to the donation bin," he finally acquiesces.

"Must we _all_ go?" the girl in white complains as she crosses her arms, jutting her hip out to the side. Of _course_, every school has to have a girl like _her_. I bet she's rich, too.

"Yes," the Headmaster now commands with the smallest of smirks curling the corner of his lips hidden behind a final sip of his caffeinated brew, "We wouldn't want to give way to rumors, would we Miss Schnee?"

She turns away with a huff, which if I recall correctly in my high school experience means reluctant acceptance.

Oh... Oh no, juuust _peachy_. Like being back in high school all over again.

* * *

><p>The crisp afternoon wind brushes against my skin as our group walks along the outer paths across the courtyards, the occasional breeze stinging the scratches along my chest.<p>

I look down and check for bleeding, ignoring the occasional furtive glances from my escorts. I guess I don't blame them, I'd do the same if I were in their position and some scantily clad girl popped out of thin air... much like the blonde who doesn't care whether I catch her staring or not.

But meh, she's a little too young for me.

"Here we are," the girl in red begins as we reach a small building on the outskirts of Beacon, "You'll find clothes inside, and I'm sure there's stuff your size."

"Thanks," I reply before the blonde speaks up.

"Need any help, big guy?~" She asks with a questionable grin.

"Er, no... Wait a minute," I stop suddenly, narrowing my eyes at her, "You look familiar..."

I turn around to see the group of girls and the pieces suddenly come together all at once. I can't help but grin as I look at the young girl in red and snap my fingers in triumph.

"Hah! You look like a silver-eyed Ariana Grande!" I declare, eliciting a pout of confusion from her before I turn to the blonde, "Scarlet Johanson!" A raised brow from the blonde before I turn to the girl in white, "A... Really pale Jessica Alba with a scar!" She scoffs derisively before I turn to the ninja girl in the bow, "Uh..."

Ack! It's on the tip of my tongue... Oh, got it!

"A really cute Mila Kunis!" I state with an ear-splitting grin before realizing that I added one too many adjectives in my excitement.

My smile dies down as I see her look down with a slight blush and raise my hands apologetically, "Oh uh... my bad."

The not-very-latina Jessica Alba throws her hands up in frustration, "_Obviously_."

She points to Ariana, "Ruby Rose."

Then to Scarlet, "Yang Xiao Long."

Then to the still-blushing Mila, "Blake Belladonna."

Then with both thumbs points at herself angrily, "And Weiss stinkin' _Schnee!_"

"I'm sorry, your _Highness_," I state with an exaggerated bow.

I'm surprised her 'team' puts up with her, but I'm not really one to judge...

"It's _heiress_, actually," Blake speaks up for the first time.

Never mind. I throw up my arms in realization as I walk into the building, "I _knew it! _And I bet she's rich, too!"

I turn just a bit before closing the door behind me and watch as the blonde bursts out in laughter at the fuming heiress and the crimsonette chuckles lightly, Blake content with turning away and covering her smile with her hand.

* * *

><p>Some time later, I step out of the donation bin rather pleased with my finds.<p>

Black button-up Oxford shirt with grey dress slacks and a simple black belt and shoes. Though the dress shirt is probably a half size too small - defining my chest, shoulders and back - it's a problem I usually have with any shirt I try on due to my build.

"Not bad, big guy~" Yang states with a smirk.

"You... clean up nice," Blake adds softly.

"Aw, no need to return my compliment with another," I reply bashfully at the girl who apparently psyched herself up to say that judging by how she looks down with a light blush and smile. I don't think she's used to giving those out much.

"Well, I guess we'll send Ozpin a message and see where we go from here," Ruby remarks as she starts typing into what looks like one of those old sliding phones.

"Good, may we go now?" Weiss asks, glaring daggers at me.

"But Carter here ain't got nowhere to go," Yang mentions with a surprising level of warm concern, "You wanna crash with us for a bit, big guy?"

I shrug non-chalantly, "Meh, why not?"

"Awesome! We'll get team Juniper to come over and Ren can make pancakes and I'll bake the cookies!" Ruby announces happily as we all turn to make our way to a large building. Dorms... hmm, I guess it's a boarding school kind of thing.

Nearing the building, I'm somewhat surprised to hear Weiss speak up... despite her seemingly cold personality, she seems awfully curious about the things she heard in Oobleck's lecture hall after all.

"Carter, you said something about Dust crystal formation being impossible wherever it is you came from. Would you know why that is?"

I raise a brow at her interesting question and turn to Ruby for an explanation, who despite her age seems to be the leader of the group.

"Her family owns the largest Dust processing corporation in Remnant."

"Ah," I concede, deciding to indulge the girl with an answer, "Well, Miss Schnee, I can't say for sure."

She scoffs at my ambiguity, to which I return a playful grin. I always did like to mess with people that have an icy personality, it's fun to melt through it with humor and such.

"_Kidding_. Though I really can't say for _sure_, I believe it has something to do with the apparently natural occurrence crystalized hydrogen that occurs in Remnant's rock formations and not on Earth. If it were, we'd have a source for nearly unlimited self-sustaining energy!"

"Sounds like a lot of stuff that doesn't make any sense..." Yang mentions gruffly, crossing her arms under her ample... assets... in frustration at not being able to keep up with the conversation.

"It didn't make sense in my planet either until relatively recently, so don't worry! It's a very rare, high energy substance," I explain more simply, "and on Earth, it's not found in nature. It has to be _made_."

"By what?" Ruby asks with curiosity herself.

"By impossible methods that can't be re-created in a science lab," I respond jokingly, "that is, until we discovered muon particles... once harnessed, the high-energy radiation they emit was the basis of the Particle Accelerator built in my hometown to create endless amounts of the crystals to fuel our world's first self-sustaining energy reactor-"

I cut myself off as I'm hit with a wondrous, wondrous idea.

"-The same accelerator... that brought me here..." I quickly turn to the heiress, grabbing her by the shoulders and nearly shaking her as I dig for info, "Weiss, how much of this Dust stuff do you guys have?"

"_Lots_," she replies smugly before turning her gaze down at my hands and sternly prying them off her shoulders.

"My bad."

But the gears are already turning in my mind. The _only_ way for such crystals to have formed is if the entire planet had been bombarded with constant amounts of muon particles to create such vast quantities of this Dust in the planet's crust. If muons were necessary to easily create the crystals, then naturally one could expect for their combustion to emit vast quantities of muon radiation!

And if I could harness that radiation and redirect it at myself with the same mix of particles that nearly killed me that day in San Francisco, then...

"I could go back..."

"What?" Yang slowly walks over and snaps me out of my musing with an arm on my shoulder.

"I-I could go back!" I cry out hysterically, nearly crying for joy at the prospect, "I might be able to get myself back home! All I'd have to do is prove my hypothesis that there are still muon particles bombarding your planet even today..."

"Muon?" Ruby questions at the unfamiliar term.

"Yes, and seeing that _nobody_ here calls the elements the same things we do back on Earth, I have to _personally_ build a device to measure muon concentration in the air. If that works, then I'd need to recreate an environment that can emulate the accelerator anomaly perfectly... And I'd need a _lot_ of Dust to do it..." I continue with intermittent chuckles during my explanation.

"Well, that sounds like reason to celebrate!~" Yang decides es with a smack on my shoulder, "I say we mark the occasion with cookies and pancakes!"

Suddenly, I'm in complete agreement with this girl.

"Let's do it!" I exclaim as we walk into the dorm building together.

I silently shake my own head as we climb the stairs, overjoyed by my own luck. I might actually be able to pull this off! ...As long as I can get everything I need without any problems...

* * *

><p><strong>AN: And there goes chapter 2! In case you guys wanna check the science, you can't. Muon is a fictional particle in the Marvel Universe that makes crazy things possible and it makes a _lot_ of sense here on Remnant! The gravity and body density jazz, though, is all John Carter stuff ;) I hope you all like it!**

**Carter is strong but has his drawbacks, being without aura and all, and the road to Earth is a long one. Feel free to leave a fave and follow if you'd like to stay tuned and leave a review if you'd like to let me know what you think!**

**Team RWBY kinda does remind me of those four actresses, and team JNPR reminds me of people, too. More to come with that! If you think they bear a closer resemblance to someone else, let me know! If I agree, I'll re-write the chapter and give you credit! **

**Till next time, everyone!**

**Happy Reading!**


	3. Compromises

**_Compromises_**

* * *

><p>That's it... just a little more...<p>

_SLAM! zzzttssss..._

Crapberries!

"_Good morning_, sleepy hea~! oh." Yang cuts herself off as she and the rest of her team slam my door wide open and walk into my basement-turned-apartment next to the boiler room under the school grounds, only to see me awake and at work.

I turn around and the hall lights pour into my dimly-lit room, a small affair with a bed on one corner and an architect's desk on the other adorned by a small lamp and an assortment of electronic parts. It was fairly dusty when Ozpin handed me the keys last Thursday, and it had taken all of Thursday night after crashing with teams RWBY and JNPR - 'Ruby' and 'Juniper', as they call it - and all day Friday to clean it. I even had to turn down Ruby's offer to go sightseeing at Vale's docks with her and her team.

Something about preparations for a festival or something.

I sigh as I look at yet another shorted mainboard on my desk, "I was so close..."

"Wha wazzat?" Ruby mumbles as she ogles my 8 by 10 foot cell of a room blankly.

"I _said_, I-"

"_Whoa_." I'm cut off by a somewhat surprised Weiss who is currently staring at me intently, causing me to raise a brow in confusion.

I quickly look down at myself to make sure I'm decent... sleeveless beater shirt, sweatpants, slippers - all added items I snatched from the donation bin during the weekend.

"Carter... your _face!_"

Her three teammates' gazes quickly snap to my visage as I slowly raise my hand to it... and feel the scruffiness.

"Whoa, John!" Ruby begins with some awe, "You've got a _beard!_"

"How _rugged~_ A toned man with a beard _and_ glasses...?" Yang ends her question with a purr and involuntary delighted shudder of her body, but cuts herself short as she turns to Blake with a grin, "Oh, wait. Sorry Blake, the purring is _your_ thing, right?"

She's quickly met with a piercing gaze, Blake's amber eyes almost looking like they can glow in the dark.

Yang raises her hands apologetically as she adds, "My bad, too soon!"

"Speaking of which, where'd you get the glasses, John?" Ruby asks, completely ignorant of her sister's innuendo. Something I can't help chuckling at... it's refreshing to see a girl her age successfully retaining her innocence.

"Well Rubes, Ozpin lent me an old pair of his on Thursday night when I told him I lost my glasses on the way here, so yeah," I reply casually while lifting and dropping the circular frames with my finger, "They even look like the ones I used to wear before coming here!"

"Have you even _left_ this room all weekend!?" Weiss butts in hotly in her own brand of righteous indignation, "These quarters are _appalling_ to say the least!"

I look around my humble abode and shrug, "Meh. It's the only thing that was available. Warm bed. Decent workspace. Bathroom outside around the corner. Can't complain."

I then look around at the girls in my room and catch a certain change in dynamic, especially surrounding Blake after Yang's remark, "Uhh... Did I miss something during the weekend?"

After a brief saturated silence, Yang lifts a shoulder playfully and hedges, "Well, turns out Blake's a Faunus."

"Yang!" The raven-haired girl shouts as if Yang had revealed some sort of embarrassing secret. A Faunus?

Blake quickly turns to look at me as if expecting that I should be reviling her or something, and her expression slowly turns as confused as mine as I don't answer.

"A... Fau-nus," she sounds out flatly, as if I didn't hear the first time. Nope, didn't make it any more familiar.

"Do you... do you know what a Faunus _is?_" Ruby asks in wonder.

"Um, no," I reply directly, "the only thing that comes to mind is _fauna_, which in my world refers mostly to animals from a particular place or time..."

"_Well_, that's pretty much-" Weiss begins but stops herself suddenly as three sharp glares meet her from all sides, "Er, maybe Blake should just _show_ you..."

And as Ruby and Yang slowly nod to indicate assent to the suggestion at Blake, I watch the now-blushing young woman reach up to her bow, check our surroundings as if someone were spying on us, and take it off.

At first, I don't see much in the room, but as she slowly takes a step into the light cast from the hallway I notice two violet, triangle-shaped cat ears protruding from her head. I almost lose it when she starts to wiggle them a bit.

"Whoa! And I mean, _whoa!_" I begin in shock as I look at the completely natural appendages poking out through her hair, causing her to hang her head a bit in dejection.

She sighs and replies softly as if she'd been slapped, "I know, it must be-"

"-Absolutely adorable!" I finish with a wide grin, "Do you have _any_ idea how much my anime-watching friends would kill to meet someone like you!?"

Completely taken aback, her eyes shoot back up to meet mine with total surprise - and dare I say even a tinge of hope, "Really!? The humans in your world actually wish to associate with the Faunus?"

"Well, uh," I respond sheepishly, scratching the back of my head, "Faunus technically don't exist in my world... but people have been imagining what they'd be like for _ages!_"

"_Wowww_..." All four girls softly respond simultaneously with various degrees of awe and surprise.

"So yeah," I conclude to Blake with satisfaction on how the situation turned around in here, "I'd say that where _I_ come from... _you'd_ be considered a living miracle."

And that does it. Succumbing completely to the compliment, I see her look down and smile for the first time. And I mean _smile_. Shy, reserved like a precious secret that only few get to witness... and suddenly, I don't want her to stop. Heh, she's so much like the best friend I once had in what now feels like so long ago...

"Jeez, I didn't know you'd know your way around Blake's emotional defenses here," Yang observes with an amused smirk, "You got her blushing like a baby kitten!~"

"That's a _terrible_ comparison Yang," Ruby retorts as she rolls her eyes, "kittens don't blush!"

"Meh, can't make the pun hap-PUN _all_ the time!~"

"_Aargh!_" Ruby and Weiss exclaim in unison as if someone were scraping a chalkboard with a metal claw, and Blake just continues smiling as she absent-mindedly reaches up to feel her cat ears. But I can't help laughing at the decent pun.

"Hah! That was a good one- _whoa_, what!" I immediately stop chuckling as I feel a _very_ warm presence lock me in an embrace, looking down to see the mess of golden blonde hair splayed across my chest as the brawler nudges her head into me.

"_Nobody _has ever laughed at my puns before! And now I've _finally_ found someone who appreciates them for the comedic genius that they are! John Carter, I think I love you!~"

"UHH... _waitwaitwaitwaitwait_," I fire back nervously, prying her toned form off of me while I desperately try to change the subject, "Um, _why_ are you four here again?"

"Ozpin told us to to come get you- _Stop it_, Yang!" Ruby begins and ends as she grabs a hold of her sister, still flailing around to try and wrap herself on me again until finally giving up with a sigh.

"Why would he do that?" I ask, wiping some residual soot off my beater shirt.

"_Well_," Blake cuts in, having recovered from my inadvertent flattery, "He surely told you about the conditions to living in this room, right?"

I nod my head slowly, "Yeahhh... something about being available if the school needed any services. And I know it's not to be a student or anything preposterous like that cuz I'm _way_ too old for that junk again!"

"How old are you?"

"Twenty-two."

"Hmm," she responds softly, more to herself than anything. Well _that_ wasn't what I expected.

"In any case, the condition is being outlined in the amphitheater," Weiss begins lightly before steeling her expression on me, "_now_."

"_Now?_" I echo, a bit miffed at the timing, "But I'm so close to completing the main circuitry for my barometric muon counter..."

"...Ozpin said we were authorized to use _any_ force necessary," the snowy-haired girl retorts sternly, before adding with a hint of taunt in her voice and a small smirk, "He also said you'd understand."

Ah, _crap_. I heard this place was a school or something for Hunters during the weekend and I know how strong they can be... and despite my superior strength, with limited protection and experience, I don't wanna put it to the test.

"So if I say no?" I ask, but mostly just to peeve Weiss for annoying me so early in the morning. Which works. Until Yang's face brightens up.

"Well, big guy, I have a few ideas on how we can drag you outta here," she starts slowly as I notice a faint cackling sound of flames somewhere in the room, "But they _might_ burn off all your clothes~"

"_Yang!_" Ruby and Blake exclaim, each blushing in equal shades.

I gotta say. She is one persistent blonde.

"Heh, no thanks. But I need to re-cut another fiberglass panel to replace the damage on the mainboard and I wanna get it done by this afternoon while the weather's nice and the sun's out. If I'm gonna do whatever it is the Headmaster's asking, I'll need some help later to cut the panel quickly. You girls know anybody good with knives?"

Three members of the team immediately point to the fourth. Blake.

She tenses up a bit as she flashes me a weak smile, "I-I uh, I mean, I could help if that's what you need..."

"Yep! That'll work then!" I exclaim happily as I turn to a small nightstand by my bed and pull out some things, "So, I'll just change my clothes... and..."

My voice trails off as I look up and see all four girls waiting expectantly.

"...uh, ladies? Some privacy?"

"Eep!" "Oh, right!" "Our apologies!" "Darn it."

_SLAM!_

Jeez.

* * *

><p>A few minutes later, I follow the team into a large amphitheater surrounded by stands and two giant banners hanging down on either end of a platform on its long side. It's impressive to say the least, the space only accentuated by its rounded archaic architecture clearly inspired by ideals not of my world.<p>

And on the platform stand two figures. A platinum-blone woman typing a storm into her tablet. And a silver-haired man with a cane and cup of coffee.

Then, as soon as they catch sight of me, the Headmaster approaches a lone mic on the platform.

_And joining us today to participate in this morning's activities is a special guest. Please give a warm welcome to Mister John Carter!_

And approaching the platform with Ruby's team, I catch Glynda observing my outfit - my black button-up dress shirt from before but with the sleeves rolled up, my charcoal grey dress slacks, and black belt and dress shoes... with a thin white tie that I found since I like to dress it up sometimes - before she turns to her colleague.

"You're going to have him participate like _that?_"

"What am I participating in, exactly?" I ask with curiosity as I notice Glynda escorting the girls through the back exit of the platform and leaving me alone with Ozpin.

"Well, Mister Carter," he begins after turning away from the mic, "If you recall, we'd agreed to grant you asylum at our Academy rent-free on certain conditions. And though you've passed the age limit for enrollment, it doesn't mean we can't use your unique... _abilities_... as a contracted strike assistant in extermination assignments around the school."

"Wait..." I deadpan, trying to make sense of the words he just said, "You want me to do _what?_"

"My condition for granting you room and board in this institution with unlimited access to scientific resources is this: that you agree to train yourself and help our first-year teams in routine Grimm extermination assignments around the neighboring forests when asked."

I balk at the idea, surely this deranged man doesn't believe that I can make this notion of 'Grimm Hunting' an actual joint venture with this academy!

"H-How can you expect me to be on the same level as these trained fighters!?" I exclaim heatedly, trying to think of a way to talk myself out of this situation.

"I don't," he replies calmly, "But I've observed that your analytical abilities are rather striking, along with your ability to effectively gauge your situation. In short, you're quite the quick study. All we ask is that you do the same thing you did in Forever Fall."

I'm about to answer with a response that I'm sure I can use to get myself out of this, but the Headmaster simply turns with a smirk to face the mic.

_Now, due to his being so new to... Beacon... we've had a word with Mister Carter to supply him with weapons for his first match!_

Despite the murmurs I hear all around me from the students who're probably already wondering who I am, I decide to suck it up as I watch a large rack full of weapons being carted out by Glynda... _telekinetically_.

_WHAT!?_

I can only gape at her incredible Jedi powers before Ozpin taps me back to the present with his cane and motions at the rack.

"You may wield as many weapons as you wish for your first match..."

"Who am I fighting?"

"You'll see," Miss Goodwitch replies coolly as she types more notes into her tablet.

I take a step towards the rack when Ozpin gives me a final piece of advice with a hint of amused expectation in his voice, "Choose wisely."

I lazily salute him as I approach the rack full of deadly items of mayhem. Halberds, broadswords, tridents, crossbows...

"Hey John, pick the scythe!" Ruby unexpectedly calls down from above, drawing my attention to her lithe form leaning out from the edge of the stands directly above me.

"No, you dolt! This situation calls for a more elegant weapon!" Weiss cuts in, leaning over as well, "Choose the rapier, or that saber right there!"

"The katana would suffice," Blake protests casually as she leans on the side of the top and peeks over as well.

"Ooooor those _gauntlets!_~" Yang pops up and leans _waaay_ over the edge, immediately causing me to look back down. Those gauntlets of _hers_ hanging like that could stop a grown man's heart! And I'm _not_ talking about the ones on her wrists!

But taking her advice, I look over at some of the long range weapons and nearly feel my heart stop as my search stops at a pair of ordinary-looking semi-automatic pistols.

"Ohmygosh!" I exclaim with glee, "These look exactly like the Beretta 92F Series I use to have as BB guns!"

As I hum in enjoyment while spinning both two-toned beauties in each hand, I frown a bit as I stop and softly bounce the weight of each on either hand.

"Hmm, both are about a half-ounce heavy on the back ends... I'll have to compensate with my aim, and they won't ride easy, sooo..." I then reach up for a pair of grey leather shoulder-straps with a behind-the-neck downward V holster configuration and slip it on, "There! Right as rain!"

"An interesting weapon choice," Ozpin begins behind me, catching my attention as I turn and see him sipping his coffee, "May I ask what influenced your decision?"

"_Seriously_..." I hear Weiss scoff from above.

"Pfft! _Easy_. 'Taken', 'Inception', every 'Mission Impossible', all three 'The Matrix' installments, friggin '_Rush Hour_', and last but not least," I finish with a satisfied grin, "Agent Zero from 'X-Men Origins: Wolverine'!"

The Headmaster merely stares at me as I slowly realize that nobody here would have a _clue_ on what I'm talking about. Aaand the nerd in me has just entered a critical state of depression.

"Uhh..." I continue with some uncertainty, "I used to practice with weapons like these back home in weekend skirmishes against my friends. I was kinda okay with it."

"Let's get on with the show already!" I hear a voice call out from above that I notice is coming from a girl in sunglasses that if I didn't know any better was completely decked out in Coco Chanel fashion accessories.

I smirk to myself as I walk off the platform to the center of the arena, too engrossed in my own mental preparation to gawk over Glynda's second display of awesome power and Ozpin's enigmatic announcement.

_And without further ado, we'll be having Mister Carter's match done in the same way as an entrance exam match: against a dozen Beowolves!_

The cheering from all around the arena catches my attention for a bit. Hmm, they must be excited that there will be so many opponents? But I can't help but cock my head to the side as I notice Ruby and Yang on the stands above theatrically emulating monsters of sorts as a warning.

"What?" I mouth with a smile, chuckling at their antics, to which Blake joins in with evident concern, making claw-shapes with her hands and sneering - rather adorably, might I add.

"Kittens?" I say to myself in confusion before I suddenly hear many metal cages brought to several smaller doors around the arena.

_RAWWWR!_

"Hmm, definitely not kittens," I mutter aloud with some alarm, unable to see anything but glowing red eyes from inside those boxes clearly fixed on me, "Uh, Professor, what exactly _are_ thes-"

_Ready? _Ozpin's voice rings out on the arena loudspeakers. Ugh. No use resisting now, this is for my ticket back to Earth! I take a deep breath as I settle my nerves.

I nod.

_Begin!_

And all the cages opening at once, I notice several werewolf-like creatures with the same color scheme as those Hell-bears charging me from all directions. And reaching up to my shoulder-holsters behind my neck, my mind goes back to 'shoot' mode as I've trained it for so many years before.

_BLAMBLAM BLAMBLAM!_

I fire each gun twice in the single downward-arc motion I make after taking them out of the holster, taking out four Beowolves around me in mid-pounce with four perfect head shots before somersaulting forward to dodge the pounce of a fifth attacker from my side.

_BLAMBLAM BLAMBLAM!_

The Beowulf I dodged meets its swift end as I nail the back of its head from behind in my crouching position while simultaneously dispatching another one coming right at me with a bullet to the face. This being done before coming up in a deft spinning motion and firing another round from each gun to put down two more beasts coming in from opposite directions.

_BLAMBLAM BLAMBLAM!_

Looking up, I see two more Beowolves merely feet away from me in a coordinated midair attack as I pull both pistols in front of me and send two more bullets ripping through each of their bodies, their forms now bathing me instead in a mist of black smoke as I barely duck in time to evade a pair of growling pounces from ahead and behind at the same time. I could feel the claws of the second one grazing the back of my head as it soared over me!

But in my haste, I kept both pistols facing forward and inadvertently send a second bullet into the same Grimm's head. How I _hate_ wasting ammo.

But hearing the final Beowolf skidding to a stop on the floor behind me, giving me a perfect pinpoint on its location despite it being in my blind spot, I merely look up at the Headmaster with a grin as I reach my right arm back without looking and fire.

_BLAM!_

I dont don't even bother to look back and check if it's dead as I stand and place my pistols in their holsters. My back-shot was my signature move back home, known to even nail some guys in the little crook of space between their vests and helmet which would make for a heck of a neck-bruise!

"_Okay_," I concede as I shrug amid the abundance of silence in the arena around me, "I lied. I was _pretty_ okay with it back home."

But now Miss Goodwitch comes out and walks up to the mic, gaze glued to the tablet in front of her as she reads the results.

_Sixteen seconds. Nearly tying and second only to the first-year record of thirteen seconds set this year by Pyrrha Nikos._

The stunned silence continues as she steps back and Ozpin approaches the mic.

_Congratulations, Mister-_

"_Encore! Encore! Encore! Encore! ..._" A chorus of cheers suddenly erupt all around the arena, startling me as it interrupts Ozpin's speech though it doesn't seem to phase him at all.

He turns to look at me with a small smile before quickly slamming the end of his cane down on the platform with a resounding sonic blast, instantly quieting everyone in the vicinity. If his superpower has _anything_ to do with that, he'll be one of the most awesome people I've ever met.

_Now now, students. Only if Mister Carter chooses to-_

"Sure, why not?" I reply casually mentally counting the rounds I likely have left. 13 down, 17 to go if each handgun carries a 15 bullet clip.

_Very well. Mister Port, do you have any Grimm left in captivity?_

I turn behind me and see a somewhat sweaty older man with an _incredible_ mustache wiping his brow at the arena entrance, clad in a double-breasted burgundy suit with gold piping and buttons.

"Well! I do say I indeed possess two remaining specimens loaded for a second bout, but be warned that these remaining creatures are rather large and-"

_Excellent! What say you, Mister Carter?_

I turn back to try and read this Port character's expression and give up - his mustache covers most of his face and his eyes are practically nonexistent under those eyebrows - returning my attention to Ozpin and giving a shrug.

"Meh."

_Well then. Begin!_

The portly Professor gone from behind me, I see the arena exit close off and two larger hatch doors open on either side as I reach for my weapons.

I mean, it can't be that bad... the power from these pistols make me feel like the rounds can pierce through the hull of a tank! So, I should be-

_RAWWWR! ROAAAR!_

OH, NOT AGAIN!

_BLAMBLAM! BLAMBLAM!_

I'm suddenly assaulted by two large versions of the hell-bears, so fierce in their entry that one's heavily chained hulk of a body tears the chains right off the cage, its upward shift of its shoulder taking down a large chunk of the arena wall with it.

Two Grimm which I've never technically defeated before. And to make matters worse, their hides just deflected my first barrage of bullets, leaving merely scuff-marks on their thick body armor. _Crap!_

The giant boulder of arena wall comes down with a resounding crash on the grounds, a block of stone bigger than I am that I make sure to avoid as I prepare to avoid the first Grimm's attack.

"Here goes nuthin..."

The first beast with chains still dragging along takes a wild paw-swipe at me and misses as I leap clear over the beast to the other side of the arena, much to the audience's shock - judging by the surprised gasps and Ozpin's raised brow. Landing with a quick somersault, I look up and jump again as the second beast pounces on me, intent on crushing me under its impressive weight.

The height of my jump puts me eye-to-eye with the audience who now begin to cheer as they watch me perform my second hundred-foot-jump, but I know cheering will turn to sickening gasps of horror at my gruesome death if I can't figure out how to beat these things soon.

And boy am I missing those large bladed weapons right about now. Heck, even a massive bludgeoning device might suffice! Wait a minute.

I look from the massive Boulder near the hatch door to the chains on the rapidly approaching Grimm and have an idea. A John Carter inspired idea!

"Oh but this is gonna hurt..." I begin reluctantly as I crouch down and launch myself at full speed by the giant bear, barely missing its outstretched paw whose claws painfully graze my side as I reach out and yank a sizable portion of one of the chains connected to its spikes.

Still soaring with considerable speed, I readjust myself right on time to hit the opposite arena wall feet first, causing a small crater with spreading craks to appear as I use the returning momentum to fuel another speedy leap back near the Boulder and away from both Grimm. For the moment.

Entertained by my little stunts, the audience continues to cheer while I frantically search for a viable connection point on the boulder and find one: a twisted, open metal hinge which seems sturdy enough to serve as a hook for the end of my chain.

"Perfect!" I cry out as the Grimm zero in on my position and I run out a couple dozen feet from the Boulder to get in position.

I tug the chain hard, hoping this plan works, "Nnnnyyyahhhhh!"

And with a slow rumble, the large stone is hefted by the force of my pull and begins to swing around me in massive arcs like a giant single-headed Meteor Hammer for momentum.

Grunting under my own impossible strength, I get those idiot hell-bears to pause just long enough to get to lethal speeds - a guy swinging around a two-ton boulder must be something they don't see everyday.

"Say... hello... to my _lil frend!_" I hedge as I give the chain a forward tug to commence the strike, the full force of the boulder's resulting impact completely obliterating both the first Grimm's upper body and the stone itself, much to the hysterics of the fanfare surrounding me.

The chain itself now in pieces under the strain, I drop it as I evade the final Grimm in its vengeful rage, fresh out of ideas. And if it was blood-thirsty before... _well_... I don't doubt it wants my head skewered on one of its back spikes by now!

Leaping over another one of its attacks, I land and tumble awkwardly on the ground as I feel the gash on my side beginning to take its toll.

"Aghhh, this blows!"

I frantically look up and around and finally notice Yang in the bleachers above, her irises somehow turning red and pretend-punching the advancing Grimm with gusto.

Ohmygosh that's it! If I have the leg strength for a super-jump, I must have the arm-strength for a super-punch! But how... And where?

Dodging another paw-strike with a low spin, I happen to notice the mark my first two bullets left on its chest plate of bony armor. It's not just a scuff, it's a tiny crack! So springing into action and wincing against the pain on my side, I make a several hundred-foot-leap to put as much space between me and the Grimm as I can and draw my weapons.

"C'mon, come and get me..." I state softly as the Grimm turns and faces me, promptly beginning its charge.

_BLAMBLAMBLAMBLAM! BLAMBLAMBLAMBLAM! BLAMBLAMBLAMBLAM!_

I get a dozen bullets to riddle the same few square inches of chest plate, cracking it considerably before having to dodge its infuriated flurry of attacks with a defensive combo of dips and spins.

Staying in close range as it lumbers forward to avoid the full force of a possible paw-strike, I duck under its gaping jaws until its impatient fury provides me the opening I'm looking for: a terrifying roar as it stands on its hind legs in a show of intimidation.

"Heh, rage quit on _THIS-!_"

And with the equivalent of what I can only call a Super Smash Bros Falcon Punch KO, my fist connects with the shattered chest plate and the Grimm is sent flying into the opposite arena wall with a thunderous _boom_, its murky life essence leaking from the hole in its chest and signaling the end of my woes.

Hold on.

_RR-RACHHH!_

It slowly rears up its head, reaching a broken claw out at me in its stubborn attempt to end my life. Nothing else moves, as I'm sure its connection to most of its body has surely been severed, and I start feeling pity for it as it attempts a final roar, gurgled by the bubbling mass of its own innards rising in its throat.

So I reach out one of my pistols and decide to put it out of its misery with my final bullet. From about fifty yards away, I steady my aim, take a deep breath, and pull the trigger.

_BLAM!_

The beast immediately begins to evaporate with the headshot through its eye as the audience roars in unified cheer.

If this is how I'll earn my way back to Earth, so be it.

_Match victory goes to John Carter! Congratulations!_

I barely hear the last of his words when I'm suddenly embraced by a tiny frame. I follow the trail of blood-red rose petals down to the little girl in front of me and chuckle as I hug her back, just happy to be _alive_.

* * *

><p>"That... That was <em>awesome!<em>" Ruby exclaims a few minutes after having helped me out of the arena due to my side injury and we meet with teams RWBY and JNPR at the infirmary, "First you were like _boing_ and then you were like _wham_ and then you were like _pow!_"

"Oookay, Sugar Rush," Yang calms her sister playfully with a softer tone, "Let's give the big guy here some room to breathe!"

"Nah, it's fine," I state cheerfully as a nurse attends to my wound, "It helps, actually! Ruby's starting to feel like the talkative little sister I never had!"

"Really!?" Ruby begins, silver eyes twinkling in delight, "That's so cool! I've never had a brother before!"

"Well maybe you can have a brother-_in-law!_~" Yang replies suggestively before giving me a wink, to which I deadpan.

"Yang. That's a no-no."

She pouts as she crosses her arms over her fairly distracting endowments.

The girl I met last Thursday who I can only recall is Jaune's partner in this Academy approaches me and begins to circle me objectively, as if scanning my body for any inconsistencies.

"Skeletal structure is normal. No added armor or enhancements aside from your side-arms. Aural output at zero." She pauses in front of me as she cocks her head to the side and continues, "Yet you killed an Ursa Major with one blow. Is your semblance augmented strength?"

"Well _technically_, he punched it and _then_ shot it in the-"

"Nora," the Asian-looking kid next to her hedges with a small smirk.

"Oops! Sorry, Ren!~" she finishes with a giggle.

But I can only stare at the redhead's incredible features in front of me for a moment as my mind suddenly goes blank. Was I really so focused on my plans for a Muon counter when we all got together that I never noticed how _gorgeous_ this girl was!? Wow.

"...Um, Carter?"

I shake myself out of it as I recall that she did seem to be rather partial to her partner judging by how she tried to tend to his every need last Thursday. Lucky guy, whether he knows it or not. And once again, she's probably barely 18. Bad, Savvy. Bad.

"O-Oh? Uh, sorry, but I have no idea what you're talking about... So it's probably a no," and ignoring her sudden look of surprise, I narrow my eyes at her as a familiar set of revelations take place, "_Heeey_, did you know you look _exactly_ like a ginger version of Lynn Collins!?"

Her face takes a humorous mix of confusion and amusement as I turn to her partner, "And _you_ look like a younger version of Alex Pettyfer!" He raises a brow as I turn to the bubbly girl, "And you look like... a buxom Amy Adams!" She grins giddily as I turn to the kid in the pink highlight and slap my knees with a chuckle.

"Aw! Aw dude, you're _perfect!_ Sung Kang, down to a _tee!_"

"Who?" He asks with placid curiosity and a small smile.

"_Han!_ From 'The Fast and The Furious'! ...oh wait, you guys have never... seen those movies," I realize before adding under my breath, "My life sucks right now."

"Well John, I'm sure you've had quite a morning and that the match has taken quite a bit from you," Lynn Collins begins before Jaune answers.

"Well, not really, Pyrrha... I was just watching..."

Turning to her partner with some surprise, she chuckles a bit as she catches the blunder, "_John_, not Jaune, silly..."

"Ohhh..." He replies slowly, "We should find a way to fix that. You got a nickname from wherever ya came from, John?"

I purse my lips to the side as I internally debate my answer, once again deciding for full disclosure as I see no harm, "Yeah. Savvy. It just... caught on, I guess. All my friends used to call me that back home."

"Ooooh! Savvy it is!~" Nora cries out happily before Ren speaks up again.

"Well, your match was nice to watch, and I'm sure we'll get a chance to talk about it more later. But we should get going to next class."

And everyone nodding assent, Jaune then comes to lightly tug at a somewhat dissatisfied Pyrrha's arm. Obviously, I never really answered her question. I'll have to be weary of that one... she's curious. And like any high school, I'd rather that word of me being an alien _not_ spread around campus like wildfire.

"So I guess I forgot about your classes, guys," I begin as Jaune's team leaves, leaving me with Ruby's team, "Seems I'll have to wait for your help another time, Blake."

"Actually," she answers quickly as soon as I finish, "I have today off."

As I raise a brow in curiosity, Ruby steps in to explain, "Um, you see, John, Blake was kinda... MIA this weekend, and Ozpin agreed to give her today to recover if she helped provide info on a few things that happened yesterday when she came back."

I sigh as I shake my head, "That man's an extortionist."

As the three students in the room give me brief looks of confusion, Blake merely crosses her arms and nods slightly with a smug smirk in agreement. I speak up as soon as I formulate a game plan for today.

"Well Blake, if you don't mind, I'm gonna head back to my place and take a shower before heading to the donation bin to get more clothes before we all go to lunch. Which I assume is after everyone's next class. After that, we can head over and get to work... good deal?"

"Sounds fine," she agrees plainly, "I'll visit the library in the meantime and join you at lunch."

And as I bid the team adieu, Yang turns and gives her partner a nudge, "Just don't do anything _I_ would do, since _I'm_ the one waiting to do it!~"

Blake turns to me and shrugs with a light blush before shutting the infirmary door. Jeez, that Yang is a serious tease... which sometimes means that the tease in question has actually never _done_ any of those things before. Which would make her harmless.

I close my eyes and sit back as I let the nurse finish stitching my side. I think despite the compromises, my unofficial hiring as a contract exterminator, and this painful gash... today will be a good day.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Chapter three, finally out! I didn't want Carter to be too good with fire-arms... but truth is, I'm pretty okay with them in real life - both in video games and on the range. Not that I've killed a dozen wolves and two bears in one day, though. Maybe :3 **

**Anyway, I hope you like the chapter, and yes, whenever I think of JNPR those actors come to mind. Watching Dejah in _John Carter_ and realizing how Lynn Collins could play and _awesome_ Pyrrha Nikos was the spark that started the fic! I was like, "Well no one on Remnant would be able to point out how she looked like Lynn... Unless it was ME!" And then I was like, "But how do I end up in Remnant? Oh yeah, I just watched The Flash, let's go with that!" And that's how my first SI fic was born. Like an angry, hungry baby.**

**So stay tuned if you like it so far with a fave and follow and let me know what you think with a review! It always helps, and since I'm in the tricky world of SI fics, every suggestion counts!**

**Take care, and Happy Reading!**


	4. Clarity

_**Clarity**_

* * *

><p>Lunch was fun. At least as fun as I'd gather in this place which held so many similarities to the planet I once called home... despite its obvious differences.<p>

After leaving the infirmary, all I could think about was how I got here, what made this place - this _world_ - even possible... and how to get back home. It felt strange even, at some points walking down the hallways even feeling that if I'd close my eyes and open them again I'd be walking the halls of the Moscone Center, but every waking blink reminded me that it wasn't the case. I'd have to work very hard to make home a reality again, and petty high-school distractions weren't about to get in my way...

It's probably why I didn't care about the stares I got when I walked into the cafeteria wearing infirmary scrubs after my clothes had to be thrown away due to tearing. It's probably why I didn't try to socialize with any students - even the older ones who seemed to be barely a year younger than I - as I walked over to an empty table.

And probably why I didn't notice four lunch trays plop down around me before being sheepishly tapped on the head.

"Uh, Carter? You okay?"

I looked up to see Ruby next to me, inquisitive silver eyes wordlessly repeating the question as she took a seat next to me. Yang of course took the other side, my body immediately registering the warmth coming from her without even turning to confirm it was the blonde.

"Uh... yeah. Just kinda getting lost in my thoughts, y'know?"

"Sounds like good ol Blakey here," Yang began as the monochromatic half of their team silently took their seats across from us, eliciting a momentary glance from Blake between her partner and I before taking her seat next to Weiss, "Watcha thinkin about?"

Unable to hold back a small smile at her now _literal_ prodding as Yang began poking my side repeatedly, I decided to open up a bit.

"Staaahp," I just had to stop her poking first, "Just thinking about home. How far it must be, what my funeral must be like right about now-"

"Funeral!?" Ruby quipped wide-eyed with restrained volume, "Whaddaya mean? People where you come from think you're _dead!?_"

For a split second, I considered telling her the whole story... but despite her ridiculously lethal scythe, Ruby's age and likely lack of experience with human dismemberment convinced me otherwise.

"Yeah... it was an accident, but let's just say that the way I got here wasn't very pretty. In fact, at this point I still think there's a chance I died back there and this is... well, whatever this is after death."

"A bit dramatic, don't you think?" Weiss cut in between dainty forkfuls of food with a raised brow.

"Meh, so is that rapier you carry around."

She shot me an unamused glare before I continued with a small smirk, "But it still weighs down on me. So forgive me if I haven't been very sociable after Thursday, I'm still coming to terms with the nature of my vitality here. After all, dead men tell no tales."

I paused as I noticed all four girls stare at me with pensive expressions.

"...'Dead men tell no tales'. Haven't you guys heard that expression before?"

Four slowly shaking heads signaled their unfamiliarity with the saying.

"Right. Well then, now you know. I was in an accident back home which should've killed me, but instead... I'm here. The good news is that I believe it's an accident I can replicate to hopefully send me back."

"Aww, you not thinkin' about staying?~" Yang asked with a small pout.

"Well," I began, leaning a bit away from her as she scooted an inch closer with a grin, "I have family and friends back home I need to get back to... it wouldn't be fair for them if I didn't even try to find a way back."

"Makes sense..." Ruby replied distantly, taking in another bite of her lunch.

Still... I wasn't going to try alienate myself from this world, especially if I had these new abilities! So I ruffled the crimsonette's hair in an effort to cheer her up.

"Aw c'mon, Rubes! Doesn't mean I can't get to know you guys in the meantime! Just consider me an over-aged transfer student or something."

"Ah yes, a transfer from another planet," Weiss added snarkily with an eye-roll, "I'm sure that'll sit _very_ well with the student body."

"That's not something I plan to tell anyone else," I responded with what I hoped was enough of a stern tone to get the message across, "This is to stay between _us_, mostly because I find it a huge stroke of luck that the few people that know about me haven't tried to dissect me or something yet."

She nodded and seemed to register my comment, a slightly uneasy silence befalling the table until-

"Well in _that_ case, Mister Alien, feel free to abduct me anytime!~ I'm sure you can handle probing all of _this!_"

"_Darn it, Yang!_" the three girls exclaimed in unison, each red with heavy blushes as the brawler motioned to her figure before I finally burst out laughing.

I was barely able to get the last tear out of my eye before team JNPR joined us and we were all able to continue at least a semblance of a normal lunch - talk about classes, training, and Yang teasing the pair of partners of team JNPR which may as well be couples already.

Yep. Lunch was fun.

* * *

><p>But I'd be lying if I said I'm not glad that I can finally get down to business with the muon counter now that Blake and I are back at my workspace.<p>

I'd say explaining the concept of the mainboard and its components to this otherwise stoic young woman was entertaining to say the least, watching her brow - or her bow - twitch involuntarily whenever I used too many hardware terms. To be honest, it's a common failing of mine to over-explain things, so of course I decided to change tactics.

All I had to do was show her what and where to cut and she had it down pat, not even needing to ask any further questions.

Her team was right... she _is_ pretty good with knives.

As I watch her toiling over the fifth fist-sized fiberglass panel, her amber eyes keen on their work and her features taut, lightly biting her bottom lip in concentration, I finish the last of the device's remaining components that I had been working on all weekend at my side of the desk. I have never been so happy to have committed these schematics to memory after that one time Doctor Wells nearly chewed the engineering team's heads off for miscalculating early muon particle experiments due to faulty equipment.

"That should do it. Is this fine, Savvy?"

I freeze for a second at the sound of my nickname. It was the first thing she had said in maybe an hour or two, which I don't mind since I like working in a quiet environment as well... it's just that, the way she said it, she seriously sounds like my best friend from a while back.

Nonetheless, I turn to her and take the five pieces of material and overlap them. They fit over each other perfectly.

"Excellent. Thanks, Blake!" I begin with a grateful smile, receiving another in return, "Thankfully, the device itself isn't so complicated and the components are easy to connect, so I'll interlace some copper between them and finish building it in no time!"

"_Sounds_ easy enough," she replies with a smirk and a hint of sarcasm.

I roll my eyes, "Don't worry, it is. You can wait here or relax anywhere else if you'd like. I've barely touched the bed all weekend so that'll make a good seat, I guess..."

She silently glances at my work, then at me, and then at my bed before giving a little shrug. And before she disappears out of my line of sight, I catch her pulling out a small book from a satchel she had brought with her after lunch and catch the first word of the title, all in red. _Ninjas_. Hmm.

It didn't take much longer for me to finish assembling my rudimentary counter, maybe about a half hour, but when I turn around to tell Blake, I see her already lying back on the bed and nose buried in her book.

And I see the full title... _Ninjas of Love_. I dunno, but it gives me the _50 Shades_ kind of vibe... only one way to find out.

I clear my throat loudly, clearly startling her, "_Ahem! _...I'm guessing that's a romance novel?"

She jumps up and puts the book behind her, surely not expecting me to have finished so soon, so she tries to stammer a response with a growing blush, "U-Uh um, yes. Much like a novel!"

I hold my hand out, motioning for the book with a smirk, "Then you don't mind if I read it? I'll only read one sentence, I promise..."

She narrows her eyes at me, obviously gauging my terms and surely knowing what the implication would be if she refused my offer.

"Only one?"

"I promise!"

Slowly and reluctantly, she hands over the book. I bet she thinks I'm gonna go for the first page... but nope! I can see the crease in the page she left off at. I feel my own eyes widen a bit as I begin reading aloud.

"_And the strong clan leader lowers himself breathlessly onto the wide-eyed maiden, her heartbeat racing as he with muscles rippling with every motion slowly and tenderly removes her yukata, revealing her_-"

_SWIPE!_

"Okaybadidea!" Blake shouts as she instinctively snatches the book out of my hands, leaving the both of us blushing pretty darn hard.

"Heh, that was a long sentence..." I begin with a teasing smirk, having recovered sooner than she. She then shoots me a glare that convinces me to leave my teasing at that.

"I suppose you've finished your device?"

I look down at the piece of hardware in my hands and hold it up for her to see, "We're about to find out..."

And turning the dial, we both begin listening to what sounds like the sound of a Geiger Counter emanating from the device as I slowly wave it around the room.

"This can't be right," I say quizzically after a minute or so, "the device reads the muon count, but it's barely higher than that of Earth's..."

Blake cocks her head to the side as she watches me continue waving the instrument around a bit more forcefully, "Maybe it's because we're underground?"

At that, I stop to think for a moment.

"Well, muon particles are pretty strong, able to pierce through a lot more than just several panels of steel and iron," I think aloud, "But then again, it's possible that high concentrations of Dust reinforcement within the metal is acting as a buffer and insulating us from the muon outside..."

I glance at Blake and nod, "Okay, let's go up."

And walking out into the bright afternoon at the academy, I suddenly feel my heart leap as the device begins going crazy, the counts loud and fast as the small machine whistles and finally shorts out in my hands.

"Oh my gosh..." I state absent-mindedly as I take a seat at a nearby metal coffee table for outdoor studying, Blake taking the seat beside me, "Oh my gosh..."

"Is... Is everything alright? Your machine broke."

I look up at her and notice her stare back in perplexion as she sees the tears welling up in my eyes with the excitement, "Yes Blake, it broke. Because the muon count is _thousands_ of times higher than anything ever measured on Earth!"

This is incredible! Everything I was looking for and then some! I can barely continue with the surge of happiness that suddenly wells up within me as I look to the skies with renewed hope... though at this point, I don't think Blake's catching that emotion from me quite yet.

"That's _good_ news..." She continues with a tone of half-statement/half-question as if unsure on how to handle me wiping a tear away beside her.

"_Very_ good news," I add with a warm smile, setting her at ease, "Blake, if I can get this to work and make my way back home, it'll change everything. _Everything_."

A raised brow in response.

"This amount of muon radiation should be _lethal_," I begin to elaborate with increasing excitement, "But it isn't! Your sun seems to be constantly bombarding Remnant with vast amounts of it and life continues to flourish. _I'm_ not even experiencing any side-effects! I mean, what if this could correct radiation-induced ailments as well, for example? Cancer could be cured! Blake, this information can help make my world a better place, something we _really_ need right now..."

She takes a moment to take in my overly-excited state - which I'm told is quite a racket - before readjusting herself on her seat with a small smile.

"That's good to hear, Savvy. You seem to hold your home in very high regards... What's it like?"

It's a fair question, but for some reason it catches me off guard. I always figured her the silent type, but it seems the terms 'curious like the cat' holds a whole other level of meaning here... either way, it won't stop me from trying an answer.

"...Hmm," well, where to begin though, "I've never actually had to describe my planet before. It's a lot like this, but much more people and no Grimm."

At this, she softly rests her arms on the table and shakes her head with the same reassuring smile, "Then don't describe your planet. What was _your_ life like? ...It's not everyday that you get to know someone from another world."

I look around at the city beyond the cliffs and back at the intriguing raven-haired girl beside me, figuring a simple explanation would be best.

"Well, I grew up in a city much like Vale - busy, lots of buildings, next to the ocean - but there were many more people. I know you have Grimm, but our lives were hectic enough without them; running here, running there... many people couldn't make it in the city."

"Were you able to make it in the city?"

"Thankfully, yes," I reply with a satisfied smile, "I went to school, got good grades, got a scholarship and got my job. Always with the support of my family and friends, it turned out to be an exciting outcome."

I watch her gaze drift out softly over the school grounds and into the lush forests in the distance in a moment of pensive silence, nearly asking her about herself until she speaks up, answering the question first.

"You're very fortunate. It wasn't easy for me growing up here. As a Faunus, I saw many of my kind discriminated against and barred from opportunity, crimes against equality and ethics that to this day go largely unpunished just because of what we look like."

Taking a moment to process the unexpected info, I sigh as I watch the wind rustle her hair, carrying the faint scent of autumn forest to me as I suddenly felt an inexplicable pity for the girl. Pity, and understanding. And the understanding certainly wasn't inexplicable.

"I can relate."

Now turning back to me with furrowed brows, she merely asks airily, "Do you now?"

I lean just a little forward in my seat toward her, letting my fingers tap a quick ditty on the small coffee table between us close to hers as I put my thoughts in order.

"It... It sounds like the Faunus are a minority here. And from personal experience, I can say that minorities don't always get fair treatment. You see, where I came from, the prevalent race usually was well off... no muss, no fuss. And some minorities were known to be very studious or athletic, which at least bolstered their reputation. But _me, _my minority to this day is at times discriminated against, expected to have very large families and take the jobs no one else will take - like picking fruits or doing yard work - while we struggle to even master the English language."

I notice Blake blanch a bit at what I figure must be a few similarities between our situations before I continue.

"And you see, I was never expected to do well... and many people went out of their way to tell me that."

Deciding to speak up, Blake's hand also instinctively curls into a fist on the table, "And what did you do about it?"

"Me?" I begin as I glance down at her fist, "Yeah, I thought about making them bite the dust on many occasions, but I realized with time that making them eat their words would be much more satisfying. I should probably thank them... if it wasn't for their taunts and challenges, I may never have pushed myself so hard to be above all that..."

Relaxing her grip, Blake sighs and looks down pensively, "Hmm, I guess you're right. I'd say I could say the same - if I'd never known about the injustice we see everyday, I may never have decided to dedicate my life to becoming a Huntress."

We each fall into a brief silence after that. I can tell she's hurting inside about a past I know nothing about, so I do the only thing I can at the moment - lightly place my hand on her ribboned forearm, glad that she doesn't seem to show any sign of discomfort as she makes no motion to pull away and leaves her arm there - and speak my mind.

"Well I'm starting to get the feeling that it was a very good idea on your part."

She looks back up to me, and I can feel her arm tense just a little under my palm though it doesn't move, "What do you mean?"

"Heh, I heard the chatter in the infirmary about a team of Beacon students disrupting an entire theft operation down at the docks last weekend. Remind you of anyone?" She hides a small smirk at my meaningful grin.

"They would've stolen an entire shipment of Dust from Atlas had they gone unchecked."

I furrow my brows a bit at the info.

"Who?"

"The White Fang."

I sit back and cross my arms, scouring my mind for tidbits of memories from my few trips to the cafeteria during the weekend, "I've heard about them. Who are they?"

She mirrors my motion and sits back before fixing her gaze on me, a sadness now present in her eyes that I'd never seen before.

"In the ashes of war, the White Fang was meant to be a symbol of peace and unity between Humans and the Faunus. Of course, despite being promised equality, the Faunus were subjected to discrimination and hate. Humanity still thought of us as lesser beings. And so, the White Fang rose up as the voice of our people."

I couldn't help noticing a rather large missing piece from that story, "So they went from a symbol of peace to robbers of Dust?"

"It eventually came to that, yes," she continues with a sorrowful tone, "Five years ago, their leader stepped down, and a new one took his place. A new leader, with a new way of thinking. Suddenly, the peaceful protests were being replaced with organized attacks. Members were setting fire to shops that refused to serve us, hijacking cargo from companies that used Faunus labor. And the worst part was, it was working. We were being treated like equals. But not out of respect... out of fear."

"Yikes," I reply with wonder and a small measure of indignation in my voice. Somehow, all of this had affected her, and to make Blake look like she does right now, it must've been terrible.

And having something terrible happen to this person I'm realizing I identify with more than I previously expected is the thought that's making me mad.

"However," she concludes while looking over at the city in the general direction of the sea and with a growing expression of disgust, "I'm now of the same opinion as another young Faunus I met last weekend, Sun. The White Fang has been reduced to little more than a group of stupid, holier-than-thou creeps that use force to get whatever they want."

She turns her head back at me in surprise as I snort, unable to hold back a chuckle. Obviously, I explain myself as quick as possible so as not to offend.

"That's a... rather interesting choice of adjectives there, Blake. Didn't see that one coming!"

She sniggers a bit as she realizes the terms she just used as well, a hint of a smile turning up the corner of her lips, "His words, not mine."

I, however, smirk mischievously at this girl I'm beginning to feel more comfortable with, "So I assume you must've spent some time with him to recall his words so vividly, eh? And you know what they say, you always remember more about those you find attractive!~"

She rolls her eyes and crosses her arms at the remark, solidifying a glare at me which makes me laugh.

"Hah, I used to know someone who did the exact same thing you do!" I remark before raising my hands placatingly, "But hey, I'm just an old geezer calling it how I see it, sheesh! ...Besides, for some reason I'm finding it pretty easy to talk to you."

The last bit is more of an under-the-breath admission than anything, but she hears me anyway. She has cat ears... right.

And to my surprise, she leans forward on the table a bit, looking up pensively with a small pout, "Hmm, I suppose I've found it pretty easy to speak with you as well. This may be the longest conversation I've even had with anyone at Beacon."

I raise a brow in amusement, "Which must be a heck of a thing considering the age difference between us..."

But then she looks at me with a sideways glance before wiping a strand of hair that had fallen in front of her face with a smile.

"Riiight. _About_ that, Savvy," she begins with a growing smirk, "Our age difference isn't all that large... I recently turned twenty."

And if it could, I'm sure my jaw would drop on the table right about now.

"_What!?_" I exclaim with utter shock.

"Let's just say that before I came here, I was associating with some unsavory types and I needed an out. I was past enrolling age, so I lied... A little, white, lie."

I watch her bow twitch in amusement with her last three words, but immediately put two and two together with her story and identity as I now narrow my eyes at her.

"Sneaky. You were once part of the White Fang too, weren't you."

"I was at the front of every rally. I took part in every boycott. I actually thought we were making a difference. But I was just a youthful optimist," she replies without flinching, "So, I left. I decided I no longer wanted to use my skills to aid in their violence, and instead, I would begin a new life here and become a Huntress."

I process the info in my head, nodding slightly as I place my arms down on the small table between us once more.

"I guess that makes two of us coming into this Academy with hidden pasts. It explains why you don't seem so connected with your peers..."

"That and my personality," she retorts light-heartedly, "But yes, the age difference does make it more difficult to relate to the things my peers are into."

"Alright, then what _are_ you into?" I ask with an inquisitive smirk.

Maybe it's my imagination that I see Blake begin to blush as she pauses for a moment, as if to psych herself up for something. But she looks to her side for a bit before turning to meet my confused expression with an uncharacteristically bashful grin.

"Well _maybe_ I'm into 'old geezers'..."

What. I feel my face drop and most of my bodily functions pause for a bit before I remember to breathe, blinking a few times as I process that this gorgeous young woman about my age might've just made a pass at me.

"U-Uh, eh?" Maybe I'm wrong, I'll just deflect it a bit, "Like, _Chris Hemsworth_ old or _George Clooney_ old?"

The blank look in her amber eyes quickly reminds me of what planet I'm on.

"Sorry."

But quickly recovering as well, Blake sheepishly scratches the back of her bow with a light blush before chuckling nervously, "Uh n-no. I should apologize, I guess Yang's more... _forward_... approaches are beginning to rub off on me. But it's also fair retaliation for your previous unexpected compliments as well."

Huh. Well played.

"Well at least you waited for us to get comfortable with each other first," I reply with a short laugh as I watch her triumphantly grinning, "I think that was actually pretty good!"

"It nearly backfired," she admits softly, "But I prefer to get even with those who catch me off-guard, and I figured you could handle a similar comeback."

Of course, before I could declare war on her and fire back what would be the next volley of teasing remarks, were interrupted by a nearby greeting.

"Hell-ooo!~"

"Speak of the she-devil," I mutter under my breath, to which Blake chuckles as the rest of team RWBY comes over and takes three more small metal chairs to join us at our coffee table. I guess classes ended already.

"Oh hey John, your machine looks like it broke!" Ruby begins with worry as she picks up the charred device.

"That's actually a very _good_ thing, Rubes," I reply joyously, "that means there's more muon in your atmosphere that I would ever have hoped to find!"

"So what does that mean, exactly?" Weiss asks with an intrigued air, but still trying not to look like it.

"It means I have a lot of planning and work to do," I reply solemnly, the team's attention now on me, "schematics to draw, equipment to build, and Dust to collect. Weiss, do you have Dust in your possession?"

"Psh, yeah. Cases and cases of it," Yang remarks off-handedly much to her teammate's chagrin before I continue.

"Well I may need some to run a few preliminary experiments, would you mind lending me some?"

The snowy-haird girl studies me for a moment before seemingly reaching a decision, "I _suppose_, but on one condition. You let me oversee your 'experiments' - maybe both of us can come out the wiser after your little science project."

I refrain from rolling my eyes at the last comment and respond, "Alright, but in the event that we need more - which we likely will - I recall that your family owns the Schnee Dust Company... would they be able to provide me with a sizable shipment?"

At this, I see the heiress falter for the first time, looking down as if unwilling to support the possibility, "I... don't think that would be a good idea."

I look to her team quizzically and my gaze eventually falls on Blake, who speaks up with the information I figured she might have on the subject.

"You see, Sebastian Schnee - CEO of the Schnee Dust empire - is very thorough and never authorizes a shipment unless he has loads of paperwork detailing what exactly it's for and how it'll get there."

Noting her previous history with an organization that had ties with corporate espionage and theft, it didn't take me long to guess how she might know that.

"And," Weiss continues, "Much like General Ironwood, he doesn't take very well to anyone who is... _different_..."

I don't have to wonder what she means by that, judging by Blame's clenched fists at her sides.

So I raise my hand at the heiress to stop her, "That's enough. You had me at 'General'... Last thing I need is an army coming after me."

And so our group falls into another silence, me trying to rack my mind for any other available power-sources until my thoughts are suddenly interrupted by the young leader.

"I know! We stopped Roman and the White Fang from robbing that shipment last weekend, right?" Ruby states with an animated snap of her fingers.

"Yeah... but Rubes," Yang responds to try and dissuade her sister but to no avail, the crimsonette continuing adamantly to her sister's growing frustration.

"Just hold on! Hear me out! Blake, and you said that they might be behind the other robberies that have been going on already too, right? I mean, we've seen the shops that got robbed right in the middle of town!"

Blake nods, and I start catching on as to what Ruby might be getting to.

"So..." I begin with my growing excitement, "What you're saying is that we rob the robbers-"

"-and use the Dust we bring back to power the machine to get you home!" She exclaims with a wide grin. Gosh darn it... I hate to say this, but her crazy plan might actually work.

"But we don't even know _where_ the Dust might be!" Yang flares out both in temper and surprisingly in temperature as well, my face in shock as I see wisps of flame engulf her hair and go out without leaving any damage behind.

"_I_ might," Blake calmly responds, "And it would give us the opportunity to find out who _really_ is behind this operation. Roman, the Dust... it just doesn't add up."

"Well then," I conclude joyfully, "I continue training and building a machine to emulate the conditions in the particle reactor while we track down the whereabouts of the dust... I get to find a way back home and you four get to take down a criminal organization! Fair deal!"

"_Yeah!_" Ruby declares as she and I high-five, "All in favor say 'Aye'!"

"Yes! I love it when a plan comes together!" Yang declares, her previous frustration now gone in the swing of events as she makes a single fist-pump in the air.

"Well, I suppose it could be fun," Weiss adds nonchalantly.

I turn and trade smiles with Blake who then speaks up, "Alright then, we're in this together."

"...But none of you said Aye," Ruby adds in dejection.

"Aye," I reply, the girl quickly recovering her high spirits.

"Okay then, to the RWBY cave!" The red leader announces before speeding to my room.

I glance at Yang in amusement, "My room is now the 'RWBY cave'?"

"Meh, you'll get used to it. It's actually not a bad name. C'mon, guys!" She motions to all of us with a grin and is joined by Weiss as they enter the doorway along the outer courtyard that leads to the boiler room.

I stay behind with Blake as she waits for me to pick up my things from the table.

"Oh, and Blake," I begin as we reach the doorway.

"Yes?" she has no idea that I've already declared war. Perfect.

I lean in towards and make my voice soft so that no one in my room below can hear, "Just so you know, I think you're really cute when you blush..."

Her imminent crimson blush is immediately followed by a strong punch to my shoulder that echoes through the metal stairway.

"Grr...!"

"Worth it!" I cry out as I speed down the stairs to my room.

But to be totally honest, she is actually _really_ adorable when she blushes.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Hello all! Sorry about the wait, I've been pretty busy this week and finally got around to joining the RT Community to submit some of the fanart I've finished recently :) I'll try to keep up with my writing schedule but I'll have to find a good balance between writing and drawing :/ ...and yes, Blake is 20. But in my defense, wouldn't that explain so much!? (Skill, aloofness, etc)**

**In any case, I do want to address one thing. I'd like to thank a certain reviewer because he did take the time to point out certain possible plot-holes and whatnot and that's what a reviewer is supposed to do as long as it doesn't become just flaming. But then again, aside from the literary, the plot line hasn't changed (and won't change) and everything that I'm writing now has already been the plan from the beginning. So what do you guys think?**

**Feel free to leave a fave-follow-review to show your support, which is really appreciated! And I'll be back with more so stay tuned! :D**

**And happy Reading!**


	5. Variables

**_Variables_**

* * *

><p>Ugh... Hm? Oh, must've fallen asleep. Feels like it's been weeks since anything happened.<p>

The last thing I remember is planning with team RWBY in my room about how to track down that Torchwick character and going to bed after a long evening of role assignments and a rousing board game of _Remnant: The Game_. The only people I saw ever get near our location was a blonde guy with a blue-haired kid with goggles arguing in front of the side of the dorm building who seemed to be searching for something while I stepped out to snag some cookies for everyone from the cafeteria.

Turns out, against all odds, the lunch lady spoke Spanish and her husband the baker, French. Figures... People in this world can speak English, after all. I had hit it off with each of them with their own languages during the weekend, and they happily obliged with a few dozen assorted cookies they had kept warm in storage from lunch that day. I had gotten back safely and we had a fun game, me tag-teaming with Blake as Vale since we were both newbies to the game but failing to defeat Yang, who picked us all off one by one. It's a lot like Risk, a fun board game I used to play with friends back home, except with playing cards!

I think Blake and I should've won, though it was funny to see Yang defeat Weiss in one turn, the usually stone cold heiress nearly breaking down at "this game of emotions we play." And then again, it didn't help that Blake and I were furtively poking each other under the table in continuation of our own war on the side. Our attempts to hide our giggles and lack of focus on the game at hand definitely didn't help our chances.

"Doctor? ...Doctor! I think he's coming through!"

So, as I open my eyes and have to squint, flooded by bright white lights as blurry figures in what look like blue scrubs scamper around the room I'm in, I have to wonder: _What is going on!?_

"Are you sure? Is he stable?"

Wait. I know that voice.

My eyes suddenly shoot open as my senses return to me, my heartrate quickly accelerating as I realize my movement is hampered by a mass of tubes connected to me, nearly surrounding me as I lay in a medical ward bed in nothing but one of those paper-thin hospital gown thingies that I swear were _made_ for wardrobe malfunctions.

"Savvy, can you hear me?"

The voice returns, and I expect the source to loom over me at any moment to check on my condition... But instead, its owner appears at my side. Is he sitting?

"He's conscious. Please- please just take those things away, his breathing is completely normal," he continues with a tinge of annoyance as a nurse comes and pulls out a few tubes from my mouth. Weird, he's perfectly qualified to do it himself, couldn't he have just reached over to take them out on his own?

But finally free from the intrusive equipment, I smack my lips a few times to relieve their dry state, blinking once or twice at a face I thought I'd never see again.

"Wells? ...Am I dreaming?"

He smiles as he reaches up and takes off his glasses beside me, his reassuring smile, however, belying saddened cerulean eyes.

"No... You are not. But we thought we'd lost you. You've been comatose since last Thursday."

Thurs-? Oh. The still-vivid memories of everything that had happened in the accelerator crashes through my mind painfully, and I find myself wincing at my recalled pain as the heartrate monitor by my bed begins beeping faster and faster.

"I know this must be hard for you," he begins calmly once more as he places a hand on my shoulder, the physical contact slowly placating me as I realize he really is there, "But you blacked out shortly after you were rescued."

What!? "Rescued? By whom! You weren't able to open the blast doors!" I reply, eyebrows shooting up with surprise.

However, the Doctor only furrows his brows slightly as he stares intently at me, "I recall no such thing. Your mind must've entered a sort of hallucinatory REM state after the radiation exposure... David, you fell unconscious at the bridge right after the first wave of muon radiation hit you."

My eyes widen at the man, my mind hitting an impasse at the information he has just given me, "You mean to say... I've been here ever since then? But-But I... I remember the next waves practically tearing me to pieces!"

Not to mention everything that happened after _THAT_.

"Hm, then it seems the radiation left your brain functions with sufficient levels to remain subconsciously active long after your exposure as well, letting you dream - for lack of a better word - what you thought was sure to happen next."

Medically, that made perfect sense. But in _practice_, in real-life experience...

"Then what actually happened?" I ask, desperately needing an explanation as fast as his jaws can give it.

"Like I said," Doctor Wells elaborates with his signature intense gaze, "You fell unconscious after the first wave. Knowing I didn't have much time, I found the override and suited up as fast as I could to get you out. And I did... Just, not fast enough to escape contact with the second wave that grazed my suit as the blast doors shut behind us."

Slowly processing the unfamiliar events, I scrupulously scan my arms for any marks and cuts and find relatively few before carefully raising my head to get a better look at the seated Doctor.

"I... I remember being injured much more than I am now."

"And indeed you were," he replies with a declaratory tone, "which has stunned nearly every specialist that has seen you since. You see, when you fell, you fell against the valve's control panel and suffered a nasty gash across your chest, also receiving a deep burn on your side from prolonged contact with the heated metal on the floor as I tried to drag you to safety."

Recalling the injuries I had received in Remnant, I move my gown and look at my chest to see the marks nearly gone, the gash at my side still looking tender, but healing.

"Amazing, isn't it," Wells continues thoughtfully, "We've concurred with our general conclusion that the muon exposure has actually aided your natural healing process; whether or not the change is permanent is yet to be determined."

But as I stop tending to my healing wounds and search his usually unreadable expression, I find a hint of frustration in his features as he looks away and wipes his face with his free hand, "It's a modern _marvel_, truly... that for you, the radiation proved effective. For _myself_, however," I follow his gaze as he looks down at his seat, my breath hitching at the sight of the wheels supporting it, "The effect has proved quite the opposite."

"D-Doctor Wells... I thought you were wearing the sui-"

He cuts me off with a raised hand, sighing deeply before replying, "The suits can only take so much. The blast door shut just a moment too late after I pushed you into the room to ensure your safety and jumped in after you; unfortunately, some energy from the wave flared into the room and coated my back, burning right through the suit. I... would've _hoped_ that the effects of the exposure would've led to a similar recovery as yours, but in my case, the radiation effect is _degenerative_."

I can't believe my ears, how could the muon particles fail to heal this man? It makes no sense!

"That's impossible!" I cry out, the heartrate monitor beside me beginning to beep faster and faster once more, "The effects are more beneficial than anyone can _possibly_ imagine, I've measured them myself!"

The Doctor's glare shoots back at me with a mixture of confusion and curiosity, and is about to ask something when I feel my entire body go into shock. I lose control as a searing pain takes hold of me, a team of nurses coming in to mitigate the damage.

I feel myself drifting away to the realm of subconsciousness as the Doctor rolls closer to my bed in his wheelchair and puts his hand on my head, patting it reassuringly.

"There there, now. It'll be all better soon..."

* * *

><p>"There there... It'll be all better soon."<p>

I keep my eyes sealed shut as every muscle in my body tenses uncontrollably, my hands clenching into fists at my sides so hard that I don't doubt I'm drawing blood. But thankfully... What helps me begin to calm down is when the patting on my head slowly becomes a kneading massage.

Oho, now that feels pretty good! My breathing evens out a bit as the sensation continues, just glad at the moment that the person giving me a head massage is a dude. Because seriously, it's a weakness of mine - any woman would likely be able to have their way with me if they knew that all they had to do as foreplay was give me a massage.

"Oh wow, Doctor... That feels really good..."

"Oh!" An unexpected voice replies as the hands pause their massage and continue with only a second's hesitation, "Into roleplaying fantasies, are we?~ I'm game! Let's see... I guess it's time to give my patient the full-service treatment~"

My eyes shoot open and my hands snap to catch the slender pair of wrists reaching down towards my bare chest and shoulders. As my gaze suddenly locks on two lilac orbs above me, I suddenly realize that my head is resting on something much softer than any pillow...

"Y-Yang?" I ask tentatively, the name coming back to me as if recalled from a dream, "Am I resting on your legs?!"

She merely looks askance and fiendishly smirks as she replies, "Mayyybeee~"

My heart skips a beat, or maybe two, as I fully come back to my senses and realize the precarious position I'm in - the fiery blonde practically cradling me in the corner of the room on my bed, my head perched high on her lap as she tends to me with a head massage. I'm close enough to catch the scent of honeydew in her hair and the smell of leather from her jacket as I feel the warmth emanating from her as if beckoning me to return to my rest.

Yeah. Like _that's_ gonna happen.

I put my hands below me, being careful not to brush her bare legs - or worse - as I try to prop myself up, "Look Yang, I appreciate the gesture, but- ARGH!"

I cut myself off as I feel a searing headache rip through my skull, the ringing sound lingering until I fell two small hands yank me down with surprising force and continue ministering to my condition with an unexpectedly smooth head massage.

"Ya-"

"_Hush_," she chides, putting a finger on my lips as she keeps up the massage with one hand, "I came in a few minutes ago to check on you before we go through with our plans later and found you a hot mess, tossing around in your bed and saying a whole lot of stuff that doesn't make any sense."

I keep my gaze fixed on her as best I can while trying to ignore the feeling of soft, supple skin just under my head, my eyes struggling to stay open as the comfort her hands are giving me is already minimizing the pain from my residual headache.

Struggling to will myself to protest, my attempt is shot down by another pair of fingers on my lips from the same free hand.

"Ah ah, I said _hush_. Ruby's mom Summer always used to do this for me a long time ago whenever I was having nightmares... It would always make me feel better when I was scared..."

And after that, we just fall into a comfortable silence. A few more minutes pass as I simply close my eyes and enjoy the free massage, my headache practically gone after a while thanks to her natural talents with her hands. This _definitely_ beats Tylenol.

"You're _very_ good at this," I finally state after nearly falling asleep in relaxation for the umpteenth time.

"Thanks!" She replies with a light giggle, "I never figured that I'd ever do this for anyone aside from Rubes..."

At this, I crack open an eye mischievously as she moves her hands down to my temples, "Oh really?~ I wonder how your mother would feel about her little blonde brawler alone with a shirtless guy in his room giving him a massage, eh?"

"I wouldn't know. She left when I was little," she replies without missing a beat, her coy attitude now fading.

Oops.

"O-Oh. I'm sorry to hear that."

She shrugs as she pouts understandingly, "It's okay, it was a long time ago."

Humming now to fill the silence as she finishes up the massage for another minute or so, she eventually stops and pats my chest indicatively, leaving her hand resting on it.

"All better?" She asks with a small smile.

"All better," I reply, returning the smile with one of my own before looking at her hand resting on my chest, "No need to go any lower."

The blonde chuckles softly as she retracts her hand, "Sorryyy, couldn't resist~"

I can't help but grin at her relentlessness before stretching out with my arms over my head, a pleased groan escaping me as my muscles feel ready to take on the day.

"Uh, Carter?" Yang asks quietly, me turning up to look at her and surprised to see a light blush on her face, "You can get off me now..."

I blink once before registering the command, "Oh!"

But regaining her composure quickly, her grin comes back wider than ever as I put on a shirt that was laying on my work chair across the room.

"But thanks for that little show there~ Seeing a nice body shot as payment will definitely suffice for the time being, though I can't guarantee the price won't go up if you ever need another session~"

I fight down a blush of my own as I straighten out my shirt, realizing the proximity I had been in my half-naked state on top of an arguably equally half-naked girl.

"Yeah, I think you're getting a tad expensive too quick. I may just have to take my business elsewhere," I retort playfully, eliciting a look of mock offense from the blonde on my bed.

"Oh puh-_leeze_, ain't nobody in this place who gives a better massage than Yang Xiao Long! Besides, you haven't even experienced a full-body massage yet from yours truly~"

"Okay okay, not gonna entertain myself with the idea of a body massage from a seventeen year old girl!" I exclaim, holding my hands out as if to symbolically shun the thought from my mind.

"Eighteen."

I throw up my hands in frustration at the stroke of my unluckiness. Can't I find _any_ good enough excuses to avoid these situations here!?

"You... You're _really_ trying hard to resist, aren't you?" Yang suddenly begins in curiosity, slowly getting off my bed and walking over to me before leaning on my work desk I'm standing at, "Did you have someone back where you came from?"

I sigh as I let my head hang with the question, "Um, yes- I mean, _no_..."

She merely crosses her arms with a smirk as she narrows her eyes at me, "Now _that_ sounds interesting, the type of story that I'd bet you're itching to talk about to keep it from eating you up inside. So spill it~"

I look at her patiently waiting stance and look back down before sheepishly scratching the back of my head, "Aaack, fine. She was my best friend a while back, someone I once worked with. We just clicked, y'know? Talked all the time both in person at work and by phone at any other moment, and it was real special. We knew each other's likes, fears, and especially how to push each other's buttons, heh..."

"Sounds like a nice girl," she replies without any signs of mockery or teasing, just a girl listening to what I have to say - which I find oddly refreshing coming from Yang, "So what happened between you two? You talk about her in the past tense."

I chuckle nervously, "Yeah... I guess I do, don't I."

Surprised by the slowly increasing temperature as she clenches her hands into fists, I quickly come to the conclusion that she may not be all too happy if she hears I was the bad guy behind our parting ways, "You didn't break her heart, _did you?_"

Oh boy, "Not exactly... I think. I mean, I don't even know if heartbreak is the right thing to call it. We worked in the same place until I got my break at the new Particle Accelerator in my hometown as an engineer... So I had to leave. The idea of being so far away from her hurt me like nothing before, but it's not like we were an item or anything for me to stay for her-"

"But you liked her."

"Darn near fell in love with her," I reply too quickly to Yang's interruption before I can catch myself. At that, she relaxes and sighs at my dejected state.

"Poor thing. No wonder... She didn't return your feelings."

"Not exactly," I reply flatly, causing her to raise a brow in curiosity, "Everyone who saw us together thought we were a couple. And honestly, many times we acted like it. But it was never quite the right time to take it a step further, and once she heard I was going to leave... She just... Shut me out."

"_Oh_," Yang muses aloud at the info.

"Yeah. It was complicated. I was dumb, and tried giving her all these logical reasons why I should go like the idiot I am, and she shut me out. So forgive me if I'm not rushing into the first opportunity I get for romance these days..."

"Well have you tried talking to her?" Yang asks, handling this conversation in a surprisingly mature manner as she reaches over and places a consoling hand on my shoulder, "Maybe there's still a chance, y'know?"

It's kinda lame, I know, but after all this time, I still find myself swallowing a knot in my throat as I respond to that question, "I-I've tried. Many times. It's been just over fifteen months and she never returned so much as a single text."

Her eyes widen as she steps back in realization, "Oh crap, you're still in the 'keeping count' stage, no wonder!"

I laugh in self-scorn at the comment, leaning back against the workdesk as I feel the conversation already taking its emotional toll, "Hah! If you put it that way... It's almost funny how ironic it all was - in one of our first conversations, she told me how she'd be willing to drop a friendship if it got too close since she's never wanted to be involved with anyone past a certain point, but after months and months of opening up to each other and telling me the most personal things about herself that she'd never shared with anyone else before, things still ended as quickly as they began."

Yang only sighs with sympathy as I finish, "So I guess in the end, I did break her heart after all..."

"Yeah... But now I don't feel like punching you anymore for it..." She finally states with a light frown, glancing at her unclenching fists before returning her gaze to me.

Despite everything, I chuckle at her statement, a chuckle she weakly returns as well after that heavy-hearted moment, "I don't need any pity points from ya, it's okay. Like you said - it was a long time ago."

She merely looks aside and mumbles something in reply that I can't understand.

"Um, what was that, Yang?"

"...I said it explains a lot, that's all," she reiterates with a shrug, "But all in all, I have to admit, with the emotional distance and stuff she almost sounds a bit like-"

Her eyes widen, glimmering in realization as her revelation hits full force, "..._Blake!_ No wonder you two get along so well!"

I can only cock an amused brow at her perceptive observation, "They have their uncanny similarities, but Blake is her own woman in all right."

"Ahhh," she draws out with an anticipatory grin, "So there's still hope for you after all, I see~ Hehe, looks like I'm back in the game!"

I laugh incredulously at her sudden mood swing, suddenly feeling a weight off my chest after having put my troubles into words, "What!?"

"Well, if you're willing to let Blake in through your emotional defenses, then _I_ have a shot, too! Play your cards right, and you may be the first guy in Beacon to take me out to dinner and a movie~" she declares with her signature wink.

"Um, I think I can say I've _already_ let you in after this conversation," I retort with a chuckle, "And I should probably thank you for it... You're right, it did make me feel better to talk about it."

So, decided in the following course of action as I am, I walk up to her slowly as she stiffens up with apparent nerves before giving her a big hug. She remains stiff for less than a second before I feel two warm arms wrap around me and return the embrace, the entire room possibly warming up a degree or two from it.

"Thank you, Yang. I needed this more than I had realized."

Finally pulling away from each other at the same time, she gives me a little salute, "Yang Xiao Long, masseuse and therapist extraordinaire, at your service!~"

We each warmly laugh at her self-imposed title before I lean on the work desk and shake my head at her, "So why did you come here again?"

She cocks her head to the side, seeming not to understand the question for a bit before snapping her singers in realization.

"Oh! Oh yeah, Rubes sent me to check on you and tell you they were thinking of moving up our plans... To tonight! With you around, we think we can handle having our investigation sooner, so Ruby and Weiss will go to the CCT to get info on any more Dust robberies, Blake will go to a White Fang recruitment center for info, and _we_," she emphasizes while wiggling her brows, "Will leverage some info from an old friend of mine who owns a club downtown!"

I furrow my brows at the plan, "But I thought I was to stay and continue working on developing my Accelerator device?"

"Change of plans, big guy!" She continues with a smirk, "We could use you in case things get dicey."

Sighing at the unlikelihood of me getting a reprieve from all this, I stare at the harness slung over my work hair with the two pistols hanging from their holsters.

"It looks like I have little choice..."

"Don't worry," Yang adds confidently as she lightly jabs me in the arm, "you'll have _me_ taking care of you!"

I deadpan at her but can't hold back a smile as I speak up, "I feel safer already."

"That's the spirit! Now c'mon, let's get some breakfast before class starts!"

But after a moment of silence, I can tell her smile is fading and she stops motioning at the door to watch me glaring absent-mindedly between me and my bed. It... It just felt too real to be just a dream. _This_ feels too real, the _ward_ felt too real...

"Um, actually Yang, I think I'm gonna have to pass on breakfast today, there's something I need to talk to Ozpin about. I'll have to take a rain check."

"Uhhh... Rain check? It's not raining outside," she replies with evident confusion.

"Heh _no_," I continue, holding back a chuckle, "It's a figure of speech where I come from. It means I'd love to accept the invitation, but we'll have to do it another time."

"Oh," she quips understandingly, "Weirdo."

"Whatever," I respond playfully, "I'll see you ladies after class."

* * *

><p>"That is... rather bizarre," Ozpin comments after taking a sip of coffee at his desk, the both of us along with Miss Goodwitch seated in the high clock tower room just under the Beacon of the central spire at the academy.<p>

"And you noticed no inconsistencies? Nothing out of place while you were there?" Glynda asks curiously.

"Logically and medically, it all makes sense," I hedge, still no closer to an explanation than when I got here.

"And this is your first time experiencing this event?" Ozpin calmly queries.

"Yes."

"Then I doubt that there has been enough time for you to observe any true irregularities in your dream, Mister Carter."

As much as I'd like to believe him, I can't ignore the evidence, "Well that's just it! I hate to point out the elephant in the room here, but-"

"Excuse me," Miss Goodwitch interrupts as politely as possible with a slightly raised brow, "..._elephant?_"

I blink a few times in disbelief before I realize what world I'm on again, "Right. Elephant. Large animal with hanging floppy ears, tusks and a large trunk? You don't have those on your planet?"

"Ah. You must be referring to the Goliaths," Ozpin states before taking another sip of his brew, "Large and powerful Grimm. I assume you were using a sort of idiom from your world just now."

I nod my head and shrug, "Correct. But as I was saying, if there's anywhere that is chock full of inconsistencies and irregularities, it's _here_. I mean, the creatures, my abilities, the very idea of teleportation! It makes no sense! I literally know people, very intelligent people, that would take the science of this planet and the nature of my abilities and nitpick at them until they were proven to be nothing but a fictional farce."

The two adults seem to take the indirect insult fairly well, the Headmaster leaning forward on his desk across from me and clasping both hands in front of him.

"Firstly, I'd like to assure you that we are very real. And as for these... critics... of yours, can they possibly hope to understand a world and physical laws that they are wholly unfamiliar with, much less so with their own views and limitations that hinder their minds from being open to the possibility of new realms?"

I pause at the thought as one such critic comes to mind... Smart guy, but I tried explaining John Carter to him once and it went over his head. Bah, I guess you can't assume you know how something works - especially on another planet - when you know so little about the principles they're based on. Heck, all these centuries and there's still no one on Earth even capable of explaining what Gravity _is_.

"Okay, Professor. Good point."

"Then as I was saying," he continues with a small smile, "You must be willing to keep an open mind. Take your injuries, for example-"

"I have the same ones on Earth, each with a sound explanation," I cut in informatively.

"And the fact that this event hasn't begun until now?" Glynda adds questioningly.

"I've been comatose until today, and I seem to have slipped back into this world after waking for a few minutes."

Ozpin sighs with a pensive expression, taking the last of his coffee and setting the mug down with an audible _clank_.

"Mister Carter, as convincing as your argument may sound in your mind, judging by what you've told us, this is an isolated event. However, if this were to occur in the future, I'm afraid this could be an issue that runs deeper than we can currently comprehend."

"For now," Glynda now asks, continuing seamlessly from where her colleague left off, "We ask that you keep an open mind and try to continue adapting to your life here. Your subconscious reaction may be the result of a deeper level of psychological trauma from your journey to this world."

I purse my lips at the theory. Also medically sound. Jeez, I just hope this doesn't happen again, it was more emotion than I could handle.

"Very well," I reply calmly to Miss Goodwitch before turning my attention to the Headmaster, "I'll put my concerns behind me in light of this being an isolated event, and I apologize for any inconsiderate implications I've made."

"It's fine," Ozpin nods understandingly, "Your apology is accepted. We cannot expect you to adapt so quickly to a world so foreign to you. We merely hope you'll continue aiding us in our efforts to keep this world a safer place."

I nod and stand as I see them stand as well, Glynda making the concluding statements, "If there's anything else you may need for your living quarters, please don't hesitate to ask. Also, we encourage you to continue training for your first assignment as a team aide, which will come in the following weeks."

I smile and bow my head in acknowledgment before turning to leave. I'll be getting in my training alright. You can thank Ruby and her team for that.

* * *

><p>A few hours later, I'm working on the plans for my Accelerator device when I hear dainty knocking at my door.<p>

"Come i-"

_WHAM!_

The door slams open with considerable force, and I see Ruby frozen at the doorway with fist still held in midair.

"ThatwasYang!" She suddenly shouts nervously while pointing at her grinning sister beside her, her smoking gauntlet still upheld in her closed fist.

I laugh at the pair as they come in, "Figures."

Weiss and Blake come in afterwards, silently as they are and without making any comments while they take their seats at some extra chairs we had brought in yesterday for the board game.

Once everyone is seated, Ruby stands in the center of the room and addresses everyone present, "Alright girls... And John... Do you remember your roles?"

We all nod in agreement before Weiss speaks up, "You and I will head to the CCT and check the Schnee records for any other Dust robberies or inconsistencies. Seeing as I'm in the family, it shouldn't be a problem."

Blake then goes next, "The White Fang has regular faction meetings to hand out orders and recruit new members. If I can get in, I can hopefully find out what they're planning."

And finally, Yang rounds off the lineup with a shrug, "I have an old friend on the shady side of town that typically knows _everything_ going on in Vale. Getting information out of him shouldn't be _too_ hard..."

Ruby, however, keeps her glare on me after her sister finishes, giving me an indicative nod as a motion for me to speak up.

I merely point to Yang, "Aaand, I'm with her."

"Hehe, I _knew_ you'd come around~"

"_Yaaang_..." Her teammates chide in unison, to which she merely smirks and flashes me a wink.

"Anyway, we'll meet up tonight near Yang and John to go over what we found," Runy states before pumping her fist, "Let's do this!"

This'll certainly be interesting.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Hi there, TPS here! First I just wanna say, _wow_, I never actually expected this side-project of mine to receive this kind of response... Over 50 followers? Dang. I thought people weren't supposed to like SI fics, hah :) So anyway, I've decided to continue with the fic, which has unexpectedly proven to be quite the emotional investment (yes, everything I've written about my SI's life on Earth - aside from where he went to school and where he works - is true in my life too). So yeah. I really hope you like the chapter! **

**So if you haven't already, feel free to fave, follow and review as it continues helping me improve my writing! :D As some may notice, I might even reference your reviews in the fic - be it positive or negative reviews haha :)**

**In any case, stay tuned for next chapter which I'll have out as soon as I can!**

**And as always, Happy Reading!**


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